#thanks for joining me on another spontaneous essay

[gay-jesus-probably]

When trying to change your perspective and unlearn harmful behavior, the most important thing to remember is that the human brain does not like being confused. If you act on an irrational impulse or subconscious belief, you’re not going to be able to instantly realize you’re in the wrong; your brain will come up with excuses to rationalize your behavior.

Most people have a loose understanding of the concept of the left brain vs the right brain. But what isn’t commonly known is that the two halves are essentially two completely different entities that just happen to work together - we basically have two brains, which are connected by the corpus callosum, a nerve tract that allows the two halves to communicate. One experimental treatment for epilepsy is to sever the corpus callosum, which permanently separates the two halves of the brain. On the one hand, the split brain patients did stop having seizures. But they also found their limbs began having disagreements with each other - they’d take a Snickers bar off a shelf with their right arm, and their left arm would slap it out of their hand and grab a Twix. And this was a common experience with all split brain patients - the two hemispheres could no longer communicate, so they would make different decisions. It’s worth noting what we perceive as ‘thought’ all comes from the left brain. Both hemispheres are capable of analyzing input and making decisions, but only the left brain can put it into words. When the corpus callosum is intact, there’s no problem; the right brain passes its conclusions over to the left, who translates it into thoughts. But when the right brain can’t communicate what it’s thinking, its response to stimuli seems to come right the fuck out of nowhere, which split brain patients can find confusing and annoying. In the earlier example with the chocolate bars, the split brain patient didn’t suddenly lose control of their left arm; it’s just that their left brain thought “I want a Snickers” and grabbed one, but their right brain wanted a Twix and didn’t like being ignored.

But the brain doesn’t like doing things without a clear reason. Studies have been done with split brain patients where a question or instruction is put on a screen only their left eye can see (as the right brain handles the left side of the body, and vice versa). The right brain is asked to pick up an object, and the left hand picks it up. Since the two halves of the brain can’t communicate, and the right brain is effectively mute, the left brain has no idea why its body suddenly decided to pick up that specific object. Except when the patient is asked why they picked that up, the answer is never actually “I don’t know”. Instead, they’ll say they wanted a better look at it, or they were curious about it. They don’t know they were asked to pick it up, but they’re not technically lying - the left brain saw its body acting without any obvious input, and made up a narrative to justify its actions. 

So bearing that in mind, let’s say there’s a white person working in retail. They’re a progressive person, and actively try to combat racism, but on some level they’ve absorbed the extremely pervasive stereotype that black people are untrustworthy criminals. They don’t agree with that belief, and they’d throw hands if someone claimed it was a fact, but on some level it’s gotten lodged in their subconscious. One day at work while more or less running on autopilot they accuse a black patron of shoplifting, without any evidence. The white employee isn’t thinking “I’m going to be racist” or “That black person must be stealing”. The human brain loves finding patterns, and in this case their subconscious made a connection using bad information, then unfortunately acted on it. Now the employee’s paying attention, and the only explanation for their actions is “I am racially profiling”, but that’s not an explanation they can accept. They don’t believe black people are criminals, and they’re against racial profiling, so it’s unlikely their brain will even consider that as an explanation.

So their brain comes up with a narrative to justify its actions. They wouldn’t just accuse someone of stealing for no reason, so the black patron must have been acting suspicious. Even when the patron proves they weren’t shoplifting, the employee will walk away feeling like they had a reasonable reaction to a suspicious customer... while the black patron is left rightfully pissed off about being accused over literally nothing, and correctly assumes they were racially profiled. The employee won’t realize they were out of line until much later, if they ever do at all.

Which isn’t to say that people can’t help their shitty actions, or that acting on subconscious prejudice isn’t a bad thing. The point is that the human brain likes a clean narrative, and it automatically smooths over plot holes and justifies actions that contradict your perception of yourself. So when you’re trying to be a better person, or trying to unlearn toxic habits, you need to pay attention to your actions and question the real motives behind them. Was that person of color acting suspicious, or is your brain trying to justify acting on a subconscious prejudice? Is your best friend a chronic liar, or is your brain trying to rationalize why you broke down crying over them cancelling your plans to hang out tomorrow? Is the top student in your class an arrogant jerk, or did your brain make up a reason for you to hate them without admitting to being jealous?

The human brain is an unreliable narrator. Remember to read between the lines.

[softholand]

waterproof | tom holland

pairing: frat!tom holland x reader

summary: you meet a very cute, very hot guy when you join your friend in an spontaneous trip to a frat car wash event

warnings: swearing, drinking, mentions of cancer and death, smut — minors dni

words: 10k

a/n: it’s here!!!!!! my longest fic yet and probably my favorite one <3 i got the inspiration after a tiktok i saw about it and just couldn’t resist lol i was also inspired by the amazing story i swear to god i never fall in love by @hazofmyheart — so if you haven’t read it yet, do me a favor and go cause it’s brilliant :’)) h was also a big inspiration, since her works always inspires me to keep creating so thank you hannah, ily <3 @duskholland oh also, i know nothing about college in the us so forgive me if something’s wrong. i think that’s it, please let me know what you think, your feedback means a lot to me :)) ily all, be safe ✌️

Friday

The day was miserable. This morning you had woken up to a storm, rain splashed on your windows while lighting illuminated the grey sky. Unfortunately, you had two classes to attend so you had no other choice but to get up, leaving the warmth and comfort of your apartment behind. Kelsey, your best friend, and roommate had already left once you woke up, so with no more excuses to stay curled up in bed, you got up, going straight to the bathroom, before deciding what you were going to wear for the day.

Taking a quick look at your phone weather app thingy, you checked the temperature, not wanting to put too many clothes on and sweat for the rest of the day or not put enough and almost freeze to death. Once you decided that some jeans, a sweater, your pair of boots, and a jacket would do it, you got your bag and car keys from the desk and left for the cafeteria, like you did most mornings.

With a cup of coffee in one hand and your purple umbrella in the other, you made your way through campus, trying just as everyone else to desperately get away from the bad weather since you could feel your feet starting to get soaked from the wet gravel beneath you.

Thankfully, the walk wasn’t long and once you were safely inside, you went straight to your first class of the day, English Literature with Professor Bill, which unfortunately always seemed to be endless. But once it was finally over and since you had another class in the afternoon, you decided to just get a sandwich for lunch and stay at the library, that way you could finish your essay which was due next week.

You were comfortably sitting at one of the back desks, your stuff all spread out in front of you, a cup of tea on your hand, typing away on your laptop when Kelsey came rushing through the doors, making a beeline to you. “Good morning, sunshine!” She greeted you, way too excited for your liking. “Morning! What got into you?” You mumbled while she took a seat next to you. “I have great news!” Kelsey exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. “Oh no, I don’t like your tone!” You let it out, taking a sip of your hot drink.

“There’s going to be a charity car wash at the Phi Delta house tomorrow and we’re going!” Your friend squealed. “A car wash? Seriously Kel? I mean, I’m not gonna lie, they sure know how to throw one hell of a party but a car wash?” You mumbled, trying to focus back on your writing. “Not any car wash, y/n! A charity one and to be honest, Lucy kinda needs it.” Kelsey winked, making you roll your eyes.

Lucy was your 2008 white Jeep Wrangler, which you had gotten once you started college. The car was your treasure and the owner of so many good memories already. “Yeah, that’s definitely because of Lucy and not that frat blonde guy you’re after.” You protested, knowing her exact intentions.

“See? It’s a win-win situation, you get Lucy cleaned and I get to see Osterfield!” Kelsey smirked, making you groan. “You’re terrible, you know that right?” You asked. “I’ve been told before!” She smiled, anxiously waiting for your answer. “What about this weather?” You tried to reason, but you knew there was nothing that could possibly change her mind.

“It’s not supposed to rain tomorrow, and if it does, they’re canceling it and doing it next weekend.” She let it out, biting her bottom lip expectantly. You sighed, deciding you had no other choice. “Fine, Kelsey! We’re going!” As soon as the words left your mouth, your friend was jumping in your direction, hugging you as you had just given her a million dollars.

“Thank you, y/n/n! You’re the best!” She exclaimed, earning you both dirty looks from the people who were close to your desk, also trying to study. “Okay, now get off, you’re suffocating me!” You whined. “Fine, at what time you get off class today?” She asked, getting up and ready to go. “Four-ish?” You responded, tapping your nails on the laptop. “Can you give me a ride?” Your friend inquired, comically batting her eyelashes. “Sure, just text me when you get off.” You said, laughing at her antics.

Once Kelsey left, you were finally able to go back to your essay, getting most of it done before you left for your next class. One stressful hour later, you texted her saying you’d wait for her in the parking lot, receiving a quick message back, saying she’d meet you there.

At home, you two cooked some pasta recipe Kelsey found on Pinterest, before calling a night and going straight to bed. The thunderstorm had finally subsided but the rain was still falling hard once you turned off your phone, and you’ll be lying if you said you didn’t wish for it to stay like that for the next day.

Saturday

By some kind of a twisted joke though, you woke up the next morning to a blue sky, not a single cloud insight, and the promise of high temperatures and sunshine. Here goes your excuse. Thank you universe.

Checking your weather app, you heavily sighed, seeing as you had no other choice than to get up, so you did just that, picking up an outfit that consisted of your favorite jeans shorts and a lilac tank top, putting your hair up in a ponytail before going straight to the kitchen, where Kelsey was already at, preparing breakfast.

Once that was out of the day, you stepped into your trusty— and in desperate need of a wash— white sneakers, getting your purse, keys, and phone all ready to go, gasping when you saw how pretty your best friend was. “Holy shit, Kel! If that Harrison guy doesn’t do anything today, I will.” You winked, playfully twirling her around, making her blush. “Shut up!” She said, swatting your hand away. “Are you ready to go?” You asked and she nodded. “Oh, before I forget, Steph asked if she could come with us and I said yes so we have to pick her up.” Kelsey let it out while putting her sandals on.

Steph was another one of your friends and being the guy's lady she was, of course, she couldn’t miss the opportunity to attend this frat car wash event or whatever the hell that was. “Yeah, sure! Let's go!” You laughed, seeing your friend clap her hands excitedly.

With Steph on board, the three of you made your way through campus, singing to Olivia Rodrigo’s new album until the majestic Phi Delta house came into view. And what a view. The front of the house was filled with cars, so much that there was a row to have a chance of getting yours clean.

The fraternity brothers were all there too, wearing nothing more than basketball shorts, their muscular torsos left exposed, not only because of the hot temperature but also to attract more customers, especially women, since the sign in front of the house said: Phi Delta Charity Car Wash: Ladies Discount.

“Holy shit!” Kelsey let it out, being followed by the phrase “There’s nothing holy about this, Kel!” from Steph, which made you all laugh. “Well, it seems we’re gonna have to wait quite a bit judging by the size of this row.” You said, glad you had refilled Lucy the day before.

“It’d be totally worth it though, just look at them, y/n!” Kelsey exclaimed, her eyes practically bulging out of her head once she saw Harrison approach one of the cars. “And there he is!” You smirked, laughing at your friend’s stunned reaction. “There’s no way this guy is real, look at him!!!” Your friend squealed, making both Steph and you laugh.

While the girls gushed about Harrison, your attention was quickly diverted to another one of the shirtless hot guys. He was a little shorter than Harrison, with messy brunette curls on top of his head and a body that made you squeeze your thighs together just by looking at it.

“Oh, did someone finally catch your attention, y/n?” Your best friend asked, seeing as you didn’t take your eyes off the boy. “He’s freaking hot!” You exclaimed, enjoying your view. “That he is! His name is Tom Holland, he’s friends with Harrison, actually.” Steph clarified. “And of course you’d know that, wouldn’t you?” Kelsey smirked, Steph flipping her off.

Once the row of cars finally moved, it was time for your car and the girls couldn’t contain their excitement with what was about to happen. With Lucy parked in the spot one of the guys instructed you to, they got to work, asking who was the owner and what kind of service you wanted.

The question caught you so off guard you blushed, hard. The guy must have noticed since he patiently explained the two types of cleaning services being made. One for the whole car, including the interior, and the other just for the exterior.

Saying you only wanted the latter, he winked, letting out a small “Got it, babe!” before going back to work. “y/n, you look like a tomato!!!” Steph laughed, being quickly joined by Kelsey. “Shut up you two!” You flipped them off, feeling embarrassed about the fact you were caught so off guard by one shirtless boy. God, has it really been that long?

While the boys prepared the cleaning supplies, Harrison approached the car, making Kelsey squeal in excitement, something she masked really well once he was by her window. “Good morning, ladies!” The blonde said, before directing his blue eyes to your best friend. “Fancy seeing you here!” He whispered, making her blush. “I told you I was gonna come.” She giggled, and you had to contain yourself from rolling your eyes at them.

“These are your friends?” Harrison asked, taking a look inside the car. “Yeah, that’s my roommate y/n and Steph is in the back,” Kelsey explained, and you both waved. “You’re the owner of the Jeep, right?” Asked the blonde, and you nodded. “Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of him!” He said, making you wince.

“It’s her, actually!” You said, surprising him. “Oh, my bad! Does she have a name?” He smirked. “Lucy, her name’s Lucy!” You answered, seeing him nod. “We’re gonna take good care of her then.” The blonde said, before turning back to Kelsey. “You look good, Kel!” He smiled. “Thanks!” Your friend said, biting her bottom lip to contain her smile.

“Ok, now you girls better close your windows if you don’t wanna get wet.” Harrison winked, before joining the rest of his frat brothers. “Too late for that!” Kelsey said once the windows were closed, making the three of you burst out laughing.

When the car was wet and covered with a thick layer of foam, and not any foam, a rainbow one, which made you and the girls all take your phones out to register the moment, the boys got to work. With washing mitts in hands, Harrison and some of his group of friends went all over Lucy, making sure to give you and the girls winks and smirks all the way through.

“God, this is my fucking dream!” Kelsey let it out, making you laugh. “Why do I feel like I’m watching a porn video though?” You asked, feeling your cheeks grow flustered from all the hot, shirtless, wet frat boys around you. Steph and Kelsey couldn’t help but laugh, agreeing with you in the end.

Once the first wash was done, they repeated the process, but this time the guy you were watching earlier, the one Steph said was named Tom, took one of his brothers' place, giving you a better chance to admire him and his perfectly sculpted body even closer.

Like all of the other guys, he was wearing only basketball shorts, the hem of his Calvin Klein boxers peeking through. His curly chocolate-colored hair was all mated now because of the water but somehow that only made him more attractive. Jesus Christ.

When he was right by your window, he sent you a wink, making sure to really flex his muscles while washing your beloved Lucy, and oh how much you wanted to be her right now. Covered in rainbow foam, with his hands all over your body…

You were suddenly brought back to reality by a couple of knocks on your window. It was him, the son of a bitch had caught you staring, and to let you know that he put a finger on his jaw, pretending to close his mouth, which ended up making you even more flustered. You little devil.

With a huge smirk on his face and another wink in your direction, he went back to work, your friends squealing in excitement inside the car. “Oh my god! That was a scene out of a freaking movie, y/n!” Kelsey exclaimed, being followed by Steph, “God, I wish it was me!”

You closed your eyes, “Stop it, you two! I’m already flustered enough. God, it’s really hot in here isn’t it?” You let it out, blasting Lucy’s AC to try and cool your body down, an action that made both you and your friends laugh.

When the washing part was done, the boys took turns drying your car, making sure to put on a show while doing it, as usual. Harrison approached the car again, this time, he brought with him a clipboard and an envelope, where all the money was going. “Did the girls enjoy the show?” He asked once Kelsey opened her side of the window.

“We sure did!” Your friend answered, smiling wide. “I’m glad!” He smirked back, giving you the clipboard to sign your name on it. After paying for the wash, Kelsey noticed a commotion that caught her attention. “What’s going on there?” She asked the blonde, who was putting the money away.

“Oh, the guys wanted to make a sort of like a “kissing booth” to raise more money, if you donate $5 extra, you can kiss one of us,” Harrison explained, making Kelsey’s eyes pop. “Oh, and can I choose who I’m gonna kiss too?” Your friend smirked, earning a chuckle from the blonde. “Not usually, but I’ll let it pass this time.”

Kelsey looked at you expectantly, making you widen your eyes. “What are you looking at? You don’t need my permission! Go for it!” You told her, seeing her roll her eyes. “I’m not doing this alone, come on girls!” Your friend exclaimed, making you laugh. “Fuck! I can’t do it Kel, I have a giant cold sore on my bottom lip, it looks disgusting and it’s fucking painful.” Steph whined, sounding really upset.

Then, the three of them looked at you, making you shake your head. “No, I’ll pass. Thank you!” You said, being met with hard glares from your friends. “Come on, y/n! It’s for charity!” Kelsey protested, nudging your arm. “So, in or out?” Harrison inquired, and before you had a chance to respond, your friend had already done it. “She’s in, go call that Tom friend of yours!” Son of a bitch.

“Kelsey!” You snapped once Harrison was out of hearing sight, eyes practically bulging out of your face. “Oh, shut up! Don’t act like you don’t want it!” Your best friend huffed, rolling her eyes. “You’re such a bitch!” You said, trying everything in your power to bite back a smile.

“For fucks sake, y/n! Just enjoy the opportunity, I’ll literally kill to make out with any of these guys after the show they gave us!” Steph complained in the back seat. “You two are insufferable!” You laughed. “Just give them the damn money!” Kelsey said, taking the note out of her purse.

With the car windows rolled all the way down, you prepared yourself while the guys slowly but confidently approached the vehicle. What you thought was going to be only a quick car window kiss ended up being a complete makeout session when Kelsey got out of Lucy, practically throwing herself at Harrison's arms after giving him the 5 dollar bill.

You thought about quitting, just give the money, get your friends, and go home. But, once you saw Tom standing by your window, with all his glory, you froze, being met with his wide smirk. “Jesus!” You let it out when you once again, shamelessly and stupidly stared at his body. How could you not though? He was perfect. Every single one of his abs was defined to perfection, small droplets of water still ran down his torso, making you want to wipe them away with your lips.

“You can call me Tom though!” He smirked, clearly proud of his remark. “I- I’m sorry, ah, should I get out?” You asked, feeling your cheeks grow hot from embarrassment. “You’re paying for it, darling so that’s your choice!” Tom shrugged, that stupidly handsome smirk never leaving his lips. “I think I’ll just… yeah!” You mumbled, thanking Tom when he opened the door for you.

Stepping outside Lucy, the first thing you notice was the rainbow-colored ground, making a pretty contrast with your white shoes. If you didn’t have a greek god waiting to kiss you right now, you’d probably have taken your phone to snap a couple of photos.

Like the idiot you are and as if the moment couldn’t get any more embarrassing, you slipped. Right when your shoes made contact with the wet ground, they sent you flying, landing on Tom’s naked chest. Perfect.

“Shit! I’m so sorry!” You apologized, trying to regain composure. “It’s okay!” Tom giggled, steadying your clumsy ass. When you looked up, there he was, with that same smirk, hazel eyes looking right into your soul.

You couldn’t help yourself anymore, and as if you could hear a cliche overplayed romantic song starting to play in the background, you both leaned in, lips meeting each other in the middle.

The first thing you noticed was how his lips, even though thin, worked perfectly together with yours. You had kissed a lot of people in your life, and you were not ashamed of that, but you had never experienced such a hot and passionate kiss like the one you shared with Tom.

As you turned your head to deepen the kiss, his hands went to your waist, holding you close, like he was afraid you’d disappear at any moment. The coolness of his damp hands in contrast with your hot body felt strangely nice, and when a small moan left your lips, you could feel Tom’s grip tightening, a playful smirk appearing on his lips.

Unfortunately, your lungs started to beg for air, so a few minutes later, you were forced to stop, an action that left your whole body protesting against it. Of course, the first thing you saw when opening your eyes was Tom’s smirk, which apparently never left his lips.

Taking some distance from you, the boy cleared his throat, taking a final look at you. “Sorry for making you all… wet.” Tom let it out, his smirk only growing in size. That son of a bitch.

You wanted to say something, maybe scold him for his innuendos but you were left frozen, speechless, and, not surprisingly, wet. Ha-ha. Thankfully, before you could embarrass yourself even further, Harrison came to your rescue.

“We’re throwing a party tonight to celebrate the money we raised for the charity. You girls are all welcome to join, especially you young lady.” The blonde informed, leaving a final peck on Kelsey’s lips. “We’re coming, for sure!” Your friend said before the couple said their goodbyes.

Tom only winked at you, and since you felt like your feet were stuck to the ground, you just stood there, emotionless, watching him leave to join his frat brothers in another car. “Holy crap, that was hot! I got turned on just by looking at it.” Steph exclaimed from the back seat, finally snapping you out of your dirty thoughts and getting your attention.

“It seems you’re not the only one!” Kelsey teased, making you roll your eyes at her. “That’s your fault! Now shut up, and let’s go home.” You scolded her, both of you getting back into your car. “Look Steph, she’s all flustered!” Your best friend and roommate said, laughing at your distraught face, leaving you with no other choice than to give her the middle finger.

After the morning events and after you and the girls had gotten yourselves some lunch, you dropped Steph off her dorm, before heading home, where Kelsey and you decided to take a nap before getting ready for the party.

When the time to pick up an outfit came, you couldn’t help but struggle, to the point of letting yourself wonder if Tom would like what you chose. Shaking your head, you quickly tried to get rid of those intrusive thoughts, finally deciding to wear one of your favorite party dresses, that way you’d feel comfortable and pretty at the same time.

Later, when you and Kelsey arrived at the frat house, the place was already filled to the brim with people dancing, drinking, and seemingly having the time of their lives. Making your way through the mass of bodies, you and Kelsey made it to the kitchen, where the alcoholic beverages were located.

With cups filled with beer, you felt like the night was about to begin and that was confirmed when Harrison approached Kelsey, barely acknowledging you before taking her by the waist and kissing her as his life depended on it.

“Hello, gorgeous!” He smirked, finally letting her go. Your friend was speechless and before you knew it, they were shamelessly making out by your side. Rolling your eyes, you scoffed, not even surprised that you were about to spend the night as a third wheeler.

While Harrison and your best friend practically ate each other's faces off, you decided to look for Steph, since you knew she was gonna come, finding her with another group of friends that were more than happy to welcome you.

It was a few minutes later when Kelsey came back, with Harrison glued to her hip, her lipstick all smeared all over the blonde’s face. “Hey, you disappeared!” Your best friend pouted, making you roll your eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry if I felt a little uncomfortable by your and Harrison’s makeout session.” You huffed, earning a sheepish smile from her.

When you noticed your empty cup, you excused yourself to go to the kitchen for a refill, asking if anyone wanted one, but they all declined. Once there, you made a mixture of a couple of the beverages on the counter, not caring about the consequences of your choices.

You were just about to exit the crowded kitchen when suddenly you heard a voice whispering in your ear. His voice. “Fancy seeing you here!” Tom said and you could tell, even without looking that he had a smirk plastered on his face. “Well, I was invited to come so…” You shrugged, earning a chuckle from the boy.

Once you turned to him, he was hosting himself on the kitchen counter, giving you the perfect view. This time, since he was wearing a shirt, you could really focus your attention on his face instead of his absurdly ripped body. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt, some cuffed jeans, and a hat, backward, which ended up making him look even hotter. Geez, how is it possible?

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name earlier, you know, we were a little busy.” The brunette smirked, making you blush. “y/n, my name’s y/n.” You said, trying to contain your nerves. At that, Tom smiled, repeating your name like it was his favorite song. “I like it. It suits you.” He said, taking a sip of his drink. “Here with your friend?”

“Yeah, she ditched me for Harrison though.” You joked, earning another chuckle from Tom. “They seem pretty… close.” The brunette smirked, making you laugh.

“Don’t even say it, she’s been gushing about the “hot blonde frat guy for weeks.” You blurted, widening your eyes when you realized what you had just said to Harrison’s best friend. “Please, don’t tell him this. She’d for sure kill me.”

Tom laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it, your secret is safe with me.” He said, crossing his fingers on top of his lips. “Thank you!” You smiled, averting your gaze.

“I’m happy she went after him though.” Tom stated, “Why?” You curiously asked. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have met.” He explained, sending you a wink. “Smooth!” You laughed, feeling your cheeks burn.

You were about to say something when you suddenly felt someone bumping against you, causing you to almost spill all of your drink. When you turned to see who it was, the guy had already blended with the mass of people that were currently in the kitchen. Rolling your eyes, you averted your gaze back to Tom, who was already looking at you.

Sensing your annoyance, Tom got off the kitchen counter, offering you his hand. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” He said a beautiful smile on his face. Oh, yeah. No. You snorted, “Wouldn’t you like that?” Chuckling, the boy whose hand was still stretched, rolled his eyes. “C’mon, I wanna show you a place. And I promise it’s not my bedroom.” He winked, making you laugh and shake your head at his antics.

Finally taking a hold of his hand, which was surprisingly soft, you followed him through the house, going up one flight of stairs to a door with a big T on it. Tom opened the door to what you assumed was his room, making you instantly raise your eyebrows. “It’s outside my bedroom, I promise, y/n!” He laughed, clearly finding the situation hilarious.

While he went straight to the window, you took the moment to look at his room. What you got from it was: 1) It was probably the only one in the house with a bathroom. 2) Tom was a big fan of comics, judging by the number of magazines and action figures he collected. 3) He was a proud British, not that his accent hadn’t already given him away, but the UK flag beside his bed frame confirmed your suspicions.

“You coming?” Tom’s voice suddenly took you out of your trance. “Yeah, sorry!” You apologized, accepting his help to climb out the window, landing on the rooftop of the house. “Wow, it’s beautiful out here.” You let it out, surprised by the view of the city at night.

“Yeah, sometimes I come here when it gets too loud in the house. It’s like my safe escape.” Tom smiled. “I can only imagine how sharing a house with eleven boys might be. I truly don’t think it gets quieter than this.” You laughed, being quickly followed by him.

Clearing your throat, you suddenly felt self-conscious with all his staring, deciding it was best to just keep talking. “So, did you guys raise a good amount of money today?” You asked, changing the subject. “Yeah, we did! Thank you by the way, for coming.” Tom thanked, making you smile. “Of course! It’s for a charity, right?” You asked, even though you already knew the answer.

“Yeah, they treat kids with cancer. It’s the second year we do this for them, the first time we raised a good amount but we definitely raised more this time.” He explained, making you smile. “That’s really nice of you guys to do it.” You complimented, and this time it was Tom who blushed.

“Actually, I’m going there tomorrow to drop the money off, do you wanna come?” Tom offered, surprising you. “Oh, really?” You asked, surprised. “Sure, apparently none of the guys can.” He rolled his eyes. “I would love to, yeah!” You smiled, earning a nod from him. “Great! Cause I kinda need a ride there.” Tom let it out, a guilty look on his face. You laughed, “Damm, all of this just to ask for a ride. I can’t believe it.” You joked, making both of you laugh.

“It’s cool if you can’t though, don’t worry!” Tom lets you know, but you shrug. “No, it’s fine! I can take you! Just give your number so we can text.” You said, not even realizing how that sounded. “Look who’s the smooth one now, already asking for my phone.” The brunette smirked, making you roll your eyes at him. “Yeah, I’ll just park outside the house and wait for you the whole day.” You mocked, earning a laugh from him.

Tom was just giving your phone back when suddenly you heard someone calling his name. “What is it?” He shouted back. “C’mon bro, come here, we’re doing keg stands, where are you?” Yelled one of his frat brothers from the house backyard. “Coming!” Tom answered, looking at you with a sad smile.

“C’mon! Let’s not leave your public waiting.” You teased, making him laugh. “Are you sure? We can stay here if you want.” Tom offered, and you had to force yourself not to accept it. "It's fine! We’ll have time to talk tomorrow.” You answered, sending him a warm smile.

With Tom’s help, you climbed back to his bedroom, parting ways once you got to the first floor. “I’m gonna go look for my friends.” You let him know, taking a step back. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Tom asked, earning a nod from you. Before he left, he kissed your cheek, and you were absolutely sure you melted right then and there.

Kelsey was already looking for you once you found her, claiming she had texted you a thousand times already. You assured her you were fine, that you were actually with Tom, which earned you a massive smirk and knowing looks from her.

Once a commotion could be heard outside the house, you and your group of friends made your way there, wanting to know what was happening. Since you already knew the frat boys were playing drink games, you weren’t surprised to see Tom himself doing a keg stand, with some of his friends supporting his legs.

The crowd around you cheered and screamed, praising the boy who kept drinking like he wasn’t upside down at all. Once he finally let go of the keg, his friends helped him stand back up, and you did not miss the wink he sent your direction when he caught you, once again, staring at him. Holy fucking shit.

You spent the rest of the night with your friends, drinking and laughing at stupid jokes. You didn’t see or heard from Tom until you were already at home, tucked and ready for bed. He texted you asking if 3 pm was fine by you and once you agreed, he sent you the text that made you go to bed with a smile on your face, already excited for what the next day had to come.

Tom

See you tomorrow then, can’t wait 😜 xx

Sunday

Kelsey was at your feet the moment you woke up the next day, wanting to know what happened between you and Tom last night since now she was sober enough to comprehend your words. “I told you nothing happened Kel, he just took me to a quieter place so we could talk.” You explained while putting coffee into one of your mugs.

“Talk about what?” Kelsey insisted, taking a bite of her avocado toast, which looked very appetizing by the way. “Jesus Christ, Kelsey! Did I ask what you and Harrison were doing the majority of last night?” You barked, getting the ingredients to make one for yourself. “Oh, you wanna know?” Your best friend smirked, making you groan.

“God, you’re terrible! He just showed me the place he goes when the house gets too loud, then we talked about the car wash and how much money they had raised and he asked if I could give him a ride to the charity today since he’s going there to drop the money.” You explained, putting two slices of bread in the toaster.

“Please, tell me you said yes.” Kelsey practically begged, making you roll your eyes to the back of your head. “Yes, Kelsey! I said yes. Anything more?” You asked, crossing your arms while you waited for the toaster to pop. “Oh my God, you’re really into him, look at you, so defensive about it.” Your friend smirked.

“Oh, shut up!” You flipped her off, cutting the avocado open and spreading it on your toast, adding salt and pepper before joining her by the table. “Please, y/n! Don’t act like I don’t know you.” Kelsey winked, kicking your leg under the table. “Can I have my breakfast in peace now, please?” You remarked, earning a smirk followed by a quick nod from your friend, that fortunately left you alone.

It was later that afternoon when, after spending an unreasonable amount of time getting ready, you left to the frat house, to pick Tom up.

Once you parked your car, you shot him a text, saying you were there. He texted you back instantly, letting you know he was on his way. What you didn’t expect, in any circumstances, was to see Tom exciting the house wearing a spiderman suit, minus the mask, and a backpack.

“Oh my god, what is this?” You asked once he got closer. “I promised the kids that Spiderman would give them a visit next time,” Tom explained, his cheeks a bright shade of red. “That is really sweet, Tom!” You laughed, finding it adorable.

Once inside the car, you could really see how good he looked in that suit. It hugged his body in all the right places, accentuating his perfectly sculpted muscles. “Thank you, darling!” You heard Tom saying, with a big smirk on his face. Shit! You must have said this out loud.

Clearing your throat, you averted his gaze, not being able to face him any longer. “So, do you have the address?” Stupid question, of course, he has the address. Jesus, y/n! Get a grip! Tom laughed, at you, you thought, quickly shaking your head.

With the address in, you started the twenty-five minutes drive to the charity, which was filled with music and small chatter between you and Tom. You got to know each other a little better, Tom explained to you why he chose to move to the states to study, saying he and his best friend, Harrison always wanted to live the “American dream”, which turned out to be way more difficult than he thought since he was such a family type of guy.

“So you have three younger brothers?” You asked, trying to understand what Tom had just explained to you. “Yes, Sam and Harry are twins, and Paddy is the youngest. Oh, I also have a dog called Tessa back home, she’s my princess and I love and miss her so much.” Tom said, making your heart melt at his words.

When you finally got to the charity, Tom fished his Spiderman mask out of his backpack, securing it on his head, before turning to you. “How do I look?” He asked, making you smile. “Great! You look great!” You said, giving him two thumbs up, which made him laugh.

Since he couldn’t really see with the mask on, you helped him to the door, where a woman was already waiting for you. “Tom, none of the boys today?” She asked, clearly familiar with him. “No, not today, Nancy! I brought y/n, though!” Tom responded, his voice muffled by the fabric of the mask.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you!” You greeted the woman, being pushed to a hug. “It’s very nice to meet you, y/n! Friends of Tom are our friends here too.” She smiled, letting you go. “I can’t believe he really came dressed as Spiderman.” The woman whispered, making you laugh. “Me neither!” You said, earning a chuckle from Tom.

“I can hear with this mask on, you two know that, right?” He told you, pointing to you and Nancy. “Ok, c’mon! Let’s get inside, the kids are really excited to see Spiderman, some of them couldn’t even sleep last night.” Nancy announced.

Once you dropped the envelope with the money in Nancy’s office, she directed you both to the room where all the kids were anxiously waiting for their hero. Once Tom, or Spiderman, entered their playroom, all the kids went crazy, screaming, jumping, clapping their hands, some even getting out of their seats to hug Tom.

While you watched him interact with the kids, Nancy told you that most of them had brain cancer and that unfortunately, the majority wouldn’t even last more than a few years of life, which was why the donations and the fact that Tom came here, dressed as one of their favorite superheroes, was so important for them.

Before you realized it, you had tears in your eyes, quickly taking care of drying them, in case any of the kids saw it. Speaking of them, you had just seen Tom do a flip when you felt someone grabbing the hem of your yellow summer dress.

“Oh, hello!” You said to the little girl, looking curiously at you. “You’re Spiderman’s friend?” She asked, clutching a teddy bear in her arms. “Yes, I am Spiderman’s friend.” You answered, chuckling at her surprised face. “So you are his Mary Jane?” The little girl asked, making you smile. “I guess you could say that. But that’s a secret, so it stays between us, okay?” You sent her a wink, putting a big smile on her face.

You and Tom spent a few hours there, playing with the kids, and to be honest, it was some of the best hours of your life. The kids were all so sweet and absolutely loved to play, something so simple, that meant the absolute world to them. In a quick trip to the bathroom, Tom changed his clothes before you left, while you said your goodbyes to Nancy and all the other charity workers, promising to come back soon to visit them and to play with the kids, of course.

“So, what did you think?” Tom asked as soon as you got into your car. “It was amazing, Tom! Seriously, thank you for inviting me.” You said, sending him a warm smile. “Of course! I knew you’d like it!” He stated, keeping his eyes on you.

“Where are we going?” He asked, finally averting his gaze, noticing you were driving away from where you had come from. “Well, you showed me your favorite place yesterday, so I think it’s only fair that I show you mine.” You said, smiling in his direction. Tom laughed, adjusting himself in the seat, asking if he could turn the radio on, to which you nodded.

The rest of the drive was mostly in silence, you and Tom kept stealing glances every once in a while, which always ended with one of you chuckling from being caught. He asked about your college major, and told you about his film one, which you could see was something he was really passionate about only by the way he talked.

Once you got to your favorite spot in the city to watch the sunset, Tom got out of the car, not believing his own eyes. “Isn’t it beautiful?” You asked, joining him. “It’s gorgeous!” Tom answered, and you both stared at the sky, watching the sun slowly disappear behind the mountains, turning the once blue sky shades of orange and pink.

“How did you find this place?” Asked the brunette while leaning against Lucy. “Oh, one of my ex-boyfriends actually showed me.” You lied, watching Tom’s face immediately fall. “Oh,” he breathed, making you lose the battle with yourself and burst out laughing.

“Oh, so you think you’re funny?!” Tom joked, relieved but equally annoyed at your little prank. He started coming towards you, making grabby hands tickle your body. “You think you’re so funny, huh?” You quickly tried to escape, but it was too late. He was already tickling your sides. “Tom, stop!” You laughed, trying to get him off of you but he only kept going, until he practically caged you between your car and his body.

You were close, you were so fucking close that even the slightest movement would cause your lips to touch. “You’re really pretty!” Tom whispered, his eyes locked on yours. “You have a lot of freckles.” You noted, not being able to take your eyes off him. Smiling, Tom tucked a strand piece of hair behind your ear, an action that made you blush.

“I think I wanna kiss you again,” Tom whispered, cupping your jaw. “Then do it.” You let it out, is immediately met with the feeling of Tom’s lips against yours.

It was only the second time you kissed, but for some reason, you felt like you were already addicted to him. The way his mouth worked perfectly with yours left you feeling dizzy like you had just got out of a rollercoaster.

His hands roamed your body, frantically trying to find something to hold, until they found their place on your hips, squeezing them every once in a while. When you felt the tip of his tongue on your lips, you gladly parted them open, letting him slip his muscle into your mouth.

Tom’s body kept pressing you against your car like he was afraid you could slip past his fingers some way. Little did Tom know you had no intention at all of letting him go.

You actually had no idea how long you stayed like that, slowly making out, no rush, just enjoying the feeling of each other’s lips, his hands on your hips and yours on his chestnut curls, not only lips but feelings intertwined too. Once you pulled away to breathe, you realized the sun was long gone, the sky now filled with thousands of stars.

“It’s getting late, we should head back.” It felt weird to even talk after spending so much time kissing, you felt your throat dry, your mouth begging for water. “Yeah, we should.” Tom agreed but made no effort to get away from you.

“Tom, c’mon…” You whined, slowly backing him away, even if it pained you to do it. “I say we go to the back seat of your car and keep doing what we’re doing.” The brunette offered, kissing the side of your jaw, and to be honest, it was not a bad offer at all.

“Uhm, very tempting, but we actually have to go, it’s getting dark.” You tried, hearing Tom groan, his head buried on your neck. “C’mon, I’ll let you drive.” That seemed to get the boy's attention.

“Wait, really?” He asked, looking at you expectantly. You hummed, passing Lucy’s keys to him. “Thank you!” Tom pecked your lips once more, before quickly going to the drivers’ side, making you laugh at his sudden change of behavior.

The ride back to campus was filled with Tom’s excitement to be driving your car, which ended up being the most entertaining thing to watch, it was like seeing a kid playing with their new toy.

At the frat house, he made sure to kiss you again, thanking you for the ride and for letting him drive your car. You assured him it was okay, and after a few more minutes making out outside, he finally let you go, making you promise to text him once you had arrived.

With a stupid smile on your face, you made your way back to your apartment, where Kelsey was already waiting, her ears ready to hear all about your “date”. Seeing as you had no other choice, and after sending Tom a quick text saying you arrived safely, you told her everything and in exchange, she told you what was going on between her and Harrison too.

At the end of the night, you two ate some boxed mac and cheese, before deciding to go to bed early, seeing as you had classes early the next morning.

You couldn’t help the feeling of butterflies on your tummy every time you thought about Tom, his face, his eyes, his hands, his lips, his kisses. Just him. Everything about him was beautiful and exciting and you already couldn’t wait to see him again.

Monday

That didn’t take long to happen, since the next day, you found a small bouquet and a note on the driver’s door handle of your car when you and Kelsey were just about to go back home after finishing classes early for the day.

“Oh my god! y/n!!” Kelsey squealed, while you tried to spot your not so mysterious admirer. “Here, read the note.” Your best friend instructed, passing you the small piece of paper that read: Thank you for the ride and everything else yesterday. I had a lot of fun! If you’re okay with it, I want to take you out properly this time. Text me when you get this, with love T xx

You couldn’t help the smile or the blush on your cheeks when reading his note. “It’s from Tom.” You laughed, taking the bouquet in your hands, giving the flowers a little sniff. Kelsey let out a squeal by your side, saying that she wished Harrison did something like that for her.

Since you couldn’t seem to find Tom anywhere, you decided to go home and do as the note instructed, texting him when you arrived at your apartment. He texted you back immediately, asking if you had liked your present. You told him you loved it, and that you were more than okay to go out with him.

After literally hours talking, you and Tom decided to meet on the weekend, since you both had quite a busy class week. He told you to be ready at 5 pm on Saturday, and even after begging him to tell you where he was gonna take you, he kept the location a secret, making you roll your eyes at his cheesiness.

Saturday

When Tom said he wanted to take you out on a proper date, you didn't think he was being that serious. Turns out he was, ‘cause when Saturday rolled around, he picked you up at your apartment, in his car this time, opened the door for you, and even took you to a semi-fancy restaurant, since you were college students after all.

The night passed faster than you liked and after an amazing dinner, you and Tom ran, hand in hand, to his car, since the small droplets of rain that had started once you were still inside, had now turned into a full storm, with thunder rolling in the distance.

When you finally got to the car, it was already too late, your clothes were drenched and the cold rain droplets kept falling from your hair directly on the carpet. Tom turned the heater on immediately, which helped you dry yourselves a bit.

“Do you wanna come with me to the house? I can give you a towel and once you’re warm again I can take you to your apartment. I’m known to make a pretty good cup of tea too.” Tom’s offer caught you off guard but it ended up being so sweet that you couldn’t recuse it. “Yeah, that would be great.” You nodded, earning yourself a smile.

The frat house was strangely quiet, something very different from the times you've been there. Tom escorted you to his room, giving you a towel before disappearing through the bathroom, to change from his wet clothes. Once he came back, wearing grey sweats and a simple worn-out white t-shirt, he excused himself to go to the kitchen and prepare the tea he promised earlier, while you tried your best to dry yourself off.

Turns out, it was much difficult to do that while wearing wet clothes, clinging to your body, so you made the bold, but most necessary decision of taking the majority of your clothes off, hanging them in the bathroom so they could dry a little bit while you stayed there.

Once Tom came back from the kitchen, carrying two mugs of hot tea in his hands, he found you under the covers of his bed. “I took some of my clothes off and hung them in the bathroom to dry, is that okay?” You asked, feeling your cheeks burn.

Tom was surprised, he didn’t expect to come back to his room to find the girl he was interested in on his bed, wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. “N-No, don’t worry about it. It's fine!” But, even though he was caught off guard, Tom wanted you to make sure it was okay, and mostly, that you were comfortable.

Passing you one of the mugs, he joined you on the bed, sitting as further away from your almost naked body as possible. “Thank you! It’s really good!” You smiled, taking a couple of sips of the hot beverage, feeling it instantly warming your body.

Apparently, the hot liquid wasn’t enough, since you couldn’t stop your body from shivering. Tom must have noticed ‘cause in seconds, he put both of your cups down, offering his body heat to help you warm up.

Getting under the covers with you, Tom opened his arms for you to nestle into them, you instantly felt the warmth of his body involve you. “Better?” Tom asked, caging you in his arms. “Much better, thank you!” You said, turning your head up, just enough to peck his lips lightly.

That ends up stirring something inside you ‘cause not even a second later you’re kissing Tom’s lips again. He moves his body slightly, that way you end in a much more comfortable position. Tom’s tongue is inside your mouth in no time at all, and from there, things only escalate. While your hands went to Tom’s soft hair, his find their place in your ass, giving each side a good squeeze, eliciting a moan from you.

In a quick movement, you straddled his waist, not for a second disconnecting your lips. Tom’s hands went to your hips, helping and encouraging you to keep moving them back and forth. It didn’t take long for you to feel the bulge in his sweatpants grow, “Oh, fuck…” Tom breathed when you directed your lips to his neck, kissing and biting every inch of exposed skin, leaving a couple of love bruises on your way.

When Tom’s hands go to your breasts, he finds himself hypnotized by the way they look on your white lace bra. But, as much as he liked the lingerie, he couldn’t help but want them off your body. “Can I take these off?” He asks after a couple of minutes of staring. “Yeah!” You said, your mind so clouded by lust you can barely talk.

With the piece of clothing properly discarded, Tom takes his sweet time with your tits, massaging them, squeezing, teasing, until he finally puts his mouth to work, sucking and biting your already erect nipples. “Oh, fuck!” You let it out, hands in his hair, feeling arousal already pooling between your legs.

After making sure to give the same amount of attention to both of your breasts, Tom let them go with a loud pop. You laugh, attaching your lips right back to his. With slow movements, he turns you both around, carefully laying you down on his bed. Tom keeps his lips on your body, moving from your lips to your jaw, neck, shoulders, chest, stomach, making sure to mark you all the way.

When he gets to your underwear, he presses a kiss to the hem of your panties, looking at you with big brown eyes, as if asking for your permission to move on. You nod, lifting your hips to help him take your last piece of clothing off before he slowly starts teasing you with feather-like kisses on your knees and tights.

“Tom, please…” you don’t even realize the words left your mouth, but you’re glad they did when you feel Tom smirk and finally move two fingers to your core. He starts by spreading your wetness all over your lips, “You’re so wet, baby!” You moan, feeling your cheeks burn from embarrassment since Tom had barely even touched you.

Looking back at you, Tom asks if he can taste you, and after a quick nod, he licks a long stripe from your core to your folds. “Fuck…” you moan, feeling your walls instantly clench around nothing. Tom eats you out good, his mouth working like magic, the sounds leaving his mouth sounding like straight-up porn, eliciting loud moans and praises from you.

With both hands on his hair, you guide him, your eyes rolling to the back of your head when Tom inserts two of his long fingers into your heat, curling them, hitting just the right spot. “Oh, fuck…” you bite your lip, feeling your high already approaching. “Please, don’t stop.” You beg, squirming in bed, one of Tom’s hands going to your stomach to keep you in place.

Tom does as he’s told and doesn’t stop his movements, only increasing them until you’re practically convulsing under him, “Fuck Tom, I’m gonna cum.” You let him know and the next thing you know, one of the best orgasms of your life hits you like a brick.

You feel like you're floating, the only thing grounding you are Tom’s sweet kisses trailing up your body. “You alright?” He asks once he gets to your face, that stupid triumphant-like smirk plastered on his lips. “Yeah, thank you.” You laugh, kissing his lips, tasting yourself in them. “You’re welcome.” Tom chuckles, going back to your lips.

With greedy hands, you palm him through his pants, moaning into his mouth when you feel how hard he is. “Your turn,” you purr, biting his earlobe, earning a moan from him. Turning both of you around, you help Tom lay down, while you start kissing his lips, moving to his jaw, neck, chest and each one of his abs, until you finally reach the hem of his grey sweatpants.

Tom helps you take the rest of his clothes off, and when he’s finally free from them, you can’t say you’re not surprised at his size. His cock is hard as a rock, leaking precum off the tip, leaving you no other option than spread the substance around his shaft. “Fuck,” Not being able to contain himself, Tom moans as soon as your hands get in contact with his member.

You start by licking a long stripe, from the base of his cock to the head, taking him slowly into your mouth, bobbing your head until you feel him hit your throat. “Fuck, y/n…” Tom moans your name and you’re sure that alone could have made you cum.

With both hands on your hair, Tom does a makeshift ponytail, helping you with your movements. “Oh, yes, keep going…” Tom breathes, your hands coming to his thighs to support yourself, while you keep taking him into your mouth, only stopping when he tells you so.

With a string of saliva dripping from your mouth, you smile, trying to clean yourself the best as you can with the back of your hand. “C’mere,” Tom said, helping you climb back to him, crashing his lips into yours, moaning loudly into your mouth.

You hold each other for a while, slowly making out until your lips are practically numb from all the kissing. “I need you...” you murmur into Tom’s lips, not even caring how desperate you sound. “Let me get a condom,” Tom says, pecking your lips before letting you go.

Tom reaches into his bedside table, shuffling through his stuff until he pulls out a pack of condoms, taking one and stuffing the rest back in. He opens the foil package, but stops to look at you, “Are you sure?” Tom asks with uncertainty in his eyes. You nod, breathing out a small yes in response, which is enough for Tom to finish rolling the material into his member.

With one of his hands between your bodies, Tom positions himself into your entrance, slowly rubbing his tip against your folds. “Fuck…” He cuts you off with his lips, slowly starting to enter you.

You both moan, getting lost in the feeling of pure bliss, Tom staying still, letting you get used to him. Once you assured him you were fine and he could move, Tom starts to ease himself in and out of you, keeping his thrusts slow at first, only increasing them when you ask him to.

Your fingers dug into his arms, back arching off the bed when you feel Tom hit the perfect spot, your moans only turning him on more. With both hands caging your head, Tom dips his lips until he can kiss you, making sure to keep his movements going, while you explore each other’s mouths.

Tom dips his head and sucks your nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the bud a few times, making sure to give each one of them the same attention. You can feel Tom’s thrusts getting sloppier, so you sneak a hand between your bodies, playing with your clit until you can feel the coil in your stomach ready to explode.

“Fuck,” With a couple more thrusts, Tom loses it, releasing into the condom, making sure not to stop his moves until you approach your high too. “Oh, fuck…” Your grip on his curls tightened as you came, a breathy moan passing your lips, your back arching off the bed until your breasts are flush with Tom’s chest.

With heavy breathing and slightly sweaty bodies, you and Tom stay chest to chest, just enjoying the bliss of your orgasms, until you’re finally able to catch your breaths.

After a couple of seconds, you open your eyes, finding Tom smiling, looking at you. “What?” You ask, a lazy smile on your lips. “That was a pretty good way of warming up, huh?” He smirked, making you giggle.

Pecking your lips, Tom starts to slowly lift himself off of you, excusing himself to the bathroom, from where he comes out a few seconds later with some wet tissues. “Here,” he passes you the package, and you thank him, cleaning yourself up before looking for your discarded clothes.

Once Tom sees you’re about to slip your dress back on, he quickly realizes it’s still raining outside and he actually really wants you to stay. “Hey, so it seems the rain hasn’t stopped yet, do you wanna maybe, spend the night?” He asks, after clearing his throat to get your attention.

Biting your lip to contain a smile, you nod, finding adorable how nervous Tom seemed. “Yeah, that’d be great.” Tom smiles, shifting on his feet. “Cool!” He says, making you chuckle.

“Do you need anything? A shirt, perhaps? That dress is beautiful but it doesn’t look very comfortable to sleep in.” Tom offers, to which you nod, accepting the old Marvel shirt he takes out of his closet for you. “Can I use the bathroom real quick?” You ask and he nods.

Once you come out, wearing his shirt, with your hair up, and a washed face, you find Tom already in bed, looking at you expectantly. “C’mere!” He instructs and you smile, joining him under the covers. Nudging his nose against yours, Tom kisses you, stopping when he hears you laugh.

“What?” He asks, confused. Smiling, you shake your head, “I was just thinking since I paid five dollars to kiss you, how much all of this will cost me.” Letting out a laugh, Tom pecks your lips, “Don’t worry, darling! You get all this for free!”

— tagging some mutuals — @missnxthingg @wazzupmrstark @duskholland @stuckonspidey @mrs-hollandstan @uglypastels @veryholland @bi-writes @cali-holland @sinisterspidey @peeterparkr @hazofmyheart @fratboievans @screamholland @londonspidey @lauras-collection @libraholland @sunshinehollandd @worldoftom @mcumendes @harryhollandsgirlfriend @sunsetholland @luke-patt @tomrussell @geekygoddesss @osterfield-holland-andcompany @heyhihellowhatsup0 @tomhollandd @greenorangevioletgrass @worldoftom

[bireggiemantle]

fic request: soft jarchie. just like. jarchie i miss them

sorry for getting to this so late, anon, but I've been very busy lately, and besides that I've been having a lot of trouble writing anything. I decided to go with a scene of archie comforting jughead after he reveals what's happening to his hands in the most recent episode, and I hope you like what I've come up with :)

-

"You can touch me." Jughead says. "I promise I won't break."

Archie nods slowly, reaching forward and taking Jughead's hand in his own. The contact is tentative, his palm barely brushing against Jughead's, but he can feel the heat of his skin seeping into the space between them, making his own fingertips burn with the sensation.

"Does it hurt?"

Jughead shrugs. "It did, at first. I'm sure you can guess how bad watching your own fingernails fall off is, but I don't really feel it anymore. It's more of a soreness than anything else." He curls his fingers around Archie's, joining their hands more firmly together.

Archie's first instinct is to give his hand a gentle squeeze, but he stops himself before he can, still scared of hurting Jughead. Instead he lets his eyes drifts towards their laps, his gaze settling on their conjoined fingers. The red of Jughead's blood looks jarring against both of their pale skin tones, but in a way it's also beautiful. It's a familiar shade, bright and bold and unapologetic, the kind of color he'd make into a lipstick tube and give to Cheryl.

Archie takes a deep breath.

"I'm gonna make him pay for doing this to you, Jug." he says, vitriol creeping up into his tone. "He's been hurting Betty too, and who knows what he's gonna do to Ronnie, but he can't keep getting away with this. I'm not gonna let him get away with this."

Jughead laughs. It's quiet at first, small and for the most part controlled, but it doesn't take long for it to grow into something louder and more spontaneous, Jughead's eyes closing as he lets his head fall back into the motion of it.

Archie frowns.

"Sorry, sorry," Jughead says. "I'm not laughing at you, I promise, it's just... sweet. I think it's sweet."

He pauses before continuing, tightening his grip on Archie's hand as he does.

"But what about you, Batman? You might've said that Percival hasn't gotten to you yet, but you and I both know that isn't true."

Archie freezes, feeling his spine stiffen as his eyes jump to meet Jughead's.

"You don't have to tell me." Jughead says. "I know we aren't as close as we used to be, but I'm always willing to listen if you want me to."

He purses his lips and takes another deep breath.

Archie opens his mouth, closing it once he realizes no sound has come out. The confession is hanging on the tip of his tongue, a ten year long essay filled with discussions of abuse and manipulation and grooming, but he just can't let it out. It's hanging on for dear life, claws buried in the soft flesh behind Archie's parted lips, digging deeper and deeper in a desperate attempt to avoid being seen.

"Thanks, Jug, but Percival really hasn't come after me yet."

Jughead's expression falls, but he doesn't push the conversation further. Archie has a feeling he knows who his demon is, but until he absolutely has to bring it up, he'd rather not broach the topic.

He tries changing the subject instead. "Hey, how have you been able to write like this?"

Archie cringes at the visual, but he supposes it's his fault for asking in the first place.

"I haven't. I've been recording all my ideas to save for later, since it's hard to type anything if your keys are slick with blood."

"I'm serious, though, I'm gonna make Percival regret ever coming to Riverdale."

The corners of Jughead's lips quirk up, and his gaze softens as he looks at Archie. "I know you will. You're Archie Andrews. It's basically your trademark to kick evil's ass."

This time, it's Archie's turn to laugh, although his laughter is significantly more subdued than Jughead's was.

"Do you want to come with me to Percival's shop tonight? We can find the artifacts and then burn that place to the ground."

"Does she know about," Archie gestures downwards, towards their coupled hands.

Jughead places his free, still-gloved hand on Archie's upper arm. "As tempting as that is, I think I'm gonna pass. Tabitha's supposed to be coming home later with news about Pop's' status as a historical landmark."

"Oh, God no; She'd flip. If you think what you want to do to Percival is bad, wait till you hear about her revenge fantasies."

Jughead's gaze slides away from Archie's, landing somewhere on the other side of the living room.

"I don't really want to tell her either. She has enough to worry about without this, and if everything goes well, it shouldn't be a problem for much longer."

He traces a small circle into the skin of Archie's arm with his thumb, turning his head so that their eyes meet again. "I have faith in you, Arch."

"Yeah," Archie says, drawing his lower lip between his teeth. "I hope I don't let you down."

"But you should probably get going." Jughead tilts his head towards the clock behind him, its hour hand sitting inches below the eight. "As much as I love our bromance, I like keeping my skin on my hands a little more."

"You won't." The response comes a bit too quick for Archie to feel comfortable hearing it, but he knows arguing with Jughead about this would be hopeless.

He lightly squeezes Archie's arm before releasing him, his fingertips grazing his skin as they part.

"Goodluck."

"Thanks. Hopefully I don't need it."

When Jughead laughs this time, Archie laughs with him, and for that small moment, Archie gets to finally feel at peace.

[thecosmicmushroom]

Just a little drabble from the Star Dads server that might turn into something more down the line... 😏

Prompt: Cloudburst

“Are you kidding me?”

Luke’s furious shriek disappears under a cloudburst. Heavy droplets drag his hair down, flatten it to his scalp in seconds. Despite his best efforts, the notebook and papers in his arms soak up every molecule of moisture in the air. With eyes to match the sudden weather, he stares down at the sodden, ruined essay he spent the last four hours typing.

He howls again, throwing the whole mess down on the steps before crumpling there, too. As an afterthought, he twists around and shouts, “I hope your booty call is worth it, asshole!”

Something about that stings worse than being locked out of his own apartment, losing hours of word, or even being caught out in the rain. Knowing Han, the selfish prick, is up there right now, adding another conquest to his Excel spreadsheet—seriously, what kind of pervert keeps a spreadsheet?—while he’s down here, drenched and alone as ever. Wasn’t college supposed to be the time to let loose and experiment?

What a joke, Luke thinks, slipping his glasses off haphazardly, fingerprints be damned. The wire bridge of the frames dig into his palms as he presses the backs of them into his closed eyelids and fights not to cry.

What he doesn’t expect to find when he blinks bleary eyes back open is the face of a small, bright-eyed child less than an inch from his own.

“Whoa, little guy,” he yelps, one hand flying to his chest like he’s in a bad ‘50s sitcom. Coughing to disguise the wheeze of his breath, desperately wishing he hadn’t left his inhaler behind alongside his raincoat and the spare key Han promised he wouldn’t need. “Where did you come from?”

That sweet face, half hidden behind a frankly eye-gouging green scarf, lights up, and a little mitten-covered hand flies up, pointing toward the apartment next door. Luke follows the line of his arm, and that’s when he sees him.

And he’s pretty sure his heart stops.

“Kid, you can’t run off like that,” the shirtless Adonis says in a gentle voice. He crouches down, the very picture of Eros with rainwater tracing the hard lines of his body, apparently unconcerned with the deluge going on around him. When he holds out his hands, the little boy runs giggling into them, shrieking with joy as he’s lifted into the air.

“Patoo, patoo,” he babbles, slapping the man’s cheek in excitement with one hand while waving at Luke with the other.

If his door would only open—or if his roommate could spontaneously grow a conscience—he might have turned and run before being pinned in place by that soft, dark gaze. Instead, his entire body floods with warmth, skin on fire even as the rain cools it, and it’s a wonder he doesn’t start steaming. Those eyes dart over to the locked door, and Luke’s heart drops to the approximate vicinity of hell itself as they spot the red-hot panties hanging from the knob simultaneously.

“I-I—” he tries, throat closing in shame and embarrassment, and it’s all he can do not to simply hide his face in his hands until the man and his adorable child leave.

“Did you want to come inside?”

He almost misses that the words are meant for him, so busy planning his escape from the situation and possibly from life before humiliation does the deed for him. All he can manage is a blank stare.

The man cocks his head, jerks it back toward his open door. “It’s pretty cold out here, and you’re soaked through. We were just making cocoa. You’re welcome to join us to get out of the rain for a bit.”

The question-without-a-question hangs there, dangling all the possibilities in front of his face, and funny enough, it’s his own words that make the decision for him.

Wasn’t college supposed to be the time to let loose and experiment?

He sends a silent thanks to that bastard, Solo.

“Yeah,” he croaks, blushing from his hairline to the tips of his toes. Determined, he clears his throat and smiles a little too wide. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

[more-stuff-of-pi]

Of Tapping and Starry Nights

a/n: I am too in love with silly boys throwing pebbles at windows to get their s/o’s attention. Gimme all the tropes, I love them. Also, it’s midnight and I haven’t legitimately read through this, so mind that, yoinks. Thanks as always to mother for encouraging me to write <3 @samwrights

notes: addition to Of Tapping and Fairytales (kuroo x gn!reader). If anyone would like to request someone else doing the tapping and what their lil midnight adventure would look like, I’m all ears :) find my masterlist here

pairing: oikawa tooru x gn!reader | genre: fluff | warnings: none :) | word count: 1,291

The glaring blue screen of your laptop was burning your eyes and you swore that you’d be seeing the imprint of your stupid essay for the next week. You had been at it for hours and still only managed to have barely more than a page worked out. The longer you stared helplessly, the more the constant blink of the black bar was starting to annoy the shit outta you. You know it was probably because it was midnight and you had been doing nothing else all day, but you could almost hear the stupid thing mocking you.

You rubbed at your eyes, groaning at the lack of inspiration gracing you like some kind of biblical revelation. And that’s when you heard it.

You were so zeroed in on the sound of your furious typing that you didn’t notice the tapping against your window. What in the hell was that? It wasn’t raining, there were no trees near your window, and certainly no birds were going ham on the glass this late at night.

Despite it being midnight and you very possibly could just be hearing things and needed to go to bed, your curiosity got the better of you. Intent on double checking that you weren’t indeed going crazy, you threw open your window and promptly heard a startled yelp followed by a solid thud. Confused, you looked down to see your dumbass of a boyfriend Oikawa Tooru lying flat on his ass. His glasses were crooked and his galaxy pajama shorts and matching sweatshirt looked rumpled, as if he dressed hurriedly.

“Tooru?” you called, still confused, but mostly amused by the sight of your boyfriend.

Fixing his glasses he answered with his usual chipper “Hi, Y/n-chan!” as he stood, rubbing at his butt.

“Mind telling me why you’re standing outside my window in the middle of the night?”

He smiled shyly and your heart swooned. It wasn’t often that the Oikawa Tooru did anything shyly. You loved him, but the boy had a tendency to be a little too full of himself. “It’s a really clear night tonight.” You leaned a little out your window, glancing up to see the stars were shining brilliantly, even amidst the suburbian light pollution.

Underneath his shyness, you could see burning excitement, so white-hot that you were surprised he wasn’t bouncing on his feet. “And?” you pried, wondering what in the hell could have Tooru so worked up in the middle of the night.

“And there’s this really cool comet--” ah, that’s what “--that’s supposed to be visible in about,” he glanced at the watch on his wrist, the worn leather one that you had gifted him, “an hour and I forgot to tell you about it earlier today because Iwa-chan threatened to hit me if I was late to practice again and I try to avoid being hit as much as possible though it ends up happening anyways because Iwa-chan is such a brute!”

“Well, you are the captain, Tooru. I don’t blame Iwa-san for wanting you to be a responsible one.”

Tooru pouted, whining, “Y/n-chaaannn, you’re supposed to be on my side!”

“I’m on the side of you being a responsible captain, Tooru-chan. Besides, you could have texted me about the comet, yeah?”

“You see, about that…” he said sheepishly.

“It’s dead, isn’t it? Your phone?”

He nodded. “I forgot to charge it.”

“You were watching footage of your last game, weren’t you?”

“No!” he puffed his cheeks, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was the game from last month.” You giggled at his childish demeanor and his smile came back easily at the lovely sound. It was one of his favorites. Your laugh, and the sound of volleyballs hitting a court. “So?” he continued.

“So, what?”

The shyness came back just as suddenly as before. “So, do you wanna watch the comet with me?” He gestured to a blanket at his feet and looked so hopelessly shy that you had to bite your lip to keep from chuckling at the rare sight. You glanced down at yourself, only in shorts and a thin shirt that wouldn’t stand against a cool summer night’s breeze.

“Give me a sec,” you told him. His answering grin was blinding, elated that you had agreed to spontaneous midnight star gazing.

You softly shut the window, changing into sweatpants and a sweatshirt that appeared to be Tooru’s if the green alien on the sleeve was anything to go by. Grabbing your phone and your house keys in one hand, you quietly made your way downstairs, slipped into sneakers, and snuck out the door without so much as a creak (thanks to the death grip you had on the railing to make sure that you didn’t biff it down the stairs).

Tooru was waiting for you, the natural light of the moon and the artificial light of the streetlamps mixing to create an ethereal glow behind him. He looked like an angel standing there in galaxy pajamas, his impossibly soft hair messy and glowing, his smile crooked and charming. You took a moment to appreciate that this absolute dork chose to tap on your window, chose to be with you. He reached out and took your hand in his, gently pulling you along with him. You two walked silently side by side, listening to the soft sounds of crickets and rustling leaves. After a while of simply just being with each other, Tooru tugged on your hand, leading you to a spot he had picked out in the park near your home. It was on a hill and overlooked the small lake, little ripples from falling leaves occasionally rocking the water.

He let go of your hand for the first time and spread out the large blanket -- in it was hidden another, smaller blanket for you two to wrap yourselves in. He laid down, patting the space next to him for you to join. You did, nestling yourself against his body, resting your head on his shoulder, curling your hand on his chest, tangling your legs with his longer ones. Tooru threw the second blanket over the both of you, ensuring that between both the blankets and his own body heat that you would be warm and comfortable.

You both stared at the stars, marvelling in the beauty of the universe, the beauty that is both creation and destruction, peace and chaos, light and dark.

All of the stress from earlier melted away. In that moment you felt nothing but beauty and love.

“Tooru,” you whispered, too scared to say it louder in fear of interrupting the magic that the stars brought.

“Yes?” He turned to look at you but you kept your eyes on the stars.

You smiled simply. “Thank you.” And you didn’t have to say anymore for him to understand. True, you were thanking him for bringing you there, but you both understood that this thank you ran much deeper than that.

“I love you, too,” he breathed. You looked at him and saw him returning your smile, his eyes alive with all of the secrets of the universe and the stars in the sky.

When a brilliant flash of light marked the comet and drew your gazes to the starry night, you couldn’t ever hope to describe in words how impossibly happy you were to be there in that simple moment with a charming boy who cherished you above any star in the sky.

“Y/n,” Tooru whispered, calling your attention back to him. He leaned in and you closed your eyes and let him kiss you and in that kiss you felt all of the love the universe had to offer.

And he was giving it all to you.

[sankt-brekker-the-demjin]

You Know, For Research Purposes - Tom Holland x Reader College!AU

Summary: Working on their research project, group mates Miles, Ned, Haz, Betty, Tom and Y/N grew closer together over the course of a few months. Also, how does Cheetos and ice cream taste together? ;)))

Word Count: 2,433

A/N: (gif not mine.) lolz hi! Look what boredom did to me.. I made a fanfic... [first time doing this idk what to do so there's that moving on. Hope u like it! Geronimo.]

Tom ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at the strands with force. He banged his head lightly on the table. He looked back at his Lit folder and saw he still had half of it to finish. He closed it and decided he would do it later. Managing the research project and studying for exams were taking a toll on his body and his sanity. He got up and went to the get some water.

It was halfway through midnight. His parents and brothers were asleep on their rooms. Miles, Haz, Y/N, Betty and Ned - his Qualitative Research applied subject classmates were sprawled all over the living room, laptops shoved to their faces, bond papers in hand. It was a typical students' night. The group had gotten together at Tom's house, and planned to stay overnight.

Miles and Y/N have History 1 together, while Betty and Haz had Calculus. But other than that, this was the only classes they all had together. Being in college is no easy feat, proper time management was necessary. 

Ned had assigned each member to a specific part of the paper, and they've been at it since 8 pm. They all have to multitask and manage their time. Tom had almost finished his part of the paper, so he tried to do his Lit homework now.

Tom heard footsteps stomping on the floors. He turned and saw Y/N marching up to him with an annoyed look on her face and was about to speak but he cut her off.

"If you complain about the heat one more time, I'm give you a real reason to sweat," Tom set the cup of water with a smug look on his face.

She halted on her tracks and smacked the paper she brought on his arms. Tom chuckled, but didn't move.

"No, you idiot," Y/N rolled her eyes. "You might wanna fix that paper before you go off scaring people to death with that annoying face of yours."

His mouth twitched in amusement and took the stapled papers from her hands. "So you admit you've been looking at my face."

"You're so full of it," Y/N stepped around him and grabbed another glass, getting water from the tap.

Tom looked at the incorrect charts and tables he had made on the paper. He cursed under his breath. He had been working on it in the wee hours of last night. Spontaneous typing, no pit stops on spelling errors and everything else, just got it done.

"The original file is on my computer upstairs," he groaned. "I'll have to re-do this again."

"You do that," she clicked her tongue. "And I'll just chill here by your fridge for a moment."

Y/N opened the fridge and took the remaining slice of cake laid on a plate.

"That's mine -" Tom protested.

"Not anymore." Y/N ate the cake.

He scowled and moved to close the door of the fridge. Y/N leaned her back on the door. There they were, a few inches away from each other. Tom stood seething; Y/N chewed the cake with an amused expression. She wiped the frosting on her lower lip with her tongue reflexively. Before he realized it his eyes wandered to her lips.

Tom inched his face closer, eyes darting over to her eyes and lips. "If you don't stop biting your lips ..."

"What are you gonna do?"

Tom remained quiet but clenched his jaw.

Y/N chuckled, "You're all talk and no action."

Heavy footsteps echoed on the hallway to the kitchen, gaining both their attention away from each other. Tom whipped his head to the of the voice and shot him a look.

"I told you 7000 times, a chicken is a bird -" Haz bursted into the room with a phone clutched to his ears, pausing when he caught sight of Tom and Y/N. "D'you have a charger I could borrow?" Haz covered his phone with his hands.

"I have one in my backpack." Y/N said.

Haz nodded, talking again to his sister on the phone about chickens. He walked back to the living room, waiting for Y/N to follow him.

Y/N stopped by the table where Tom had been working on, and pointed at his paper. "I can't finish my part if you can't finish yours." Seeing as his paper's original file was on his computer upstairs, she grabbed his laptop without waiting for him to reply. "Imma borrow this ... Thanks."

She went back to the living room, laptop on hand.

"And don't look at my browser history!" She heard Tom call back from the kitchen.

"Wouldn't dare," she countered in a mocking tone.

As the weeks passed, they started collecting data on the field. They went through one institution to another, gathering reports and statistics, and validating it with professionals. Then after that it was all a blur. They submitted the paper to Mrs. Luxley and was graded, only given back to them for minor revisions.

The gang decided to spend that same night they passed the assignment on Tom's house again, just like they did when they were still making the paper. Tom's parents had gotten used to them staying over, and Sam always tried to flirt with Betty when he was around. 

Ned and Haz raced to Tom's bedroom. Ned threw himself on the bed first. "God, I've never felt the bed being this good," he sighed and melted with pleasure. All those sleepless nights they've had finally paid off.

Haz hit him with a pillow. "Move over!"

Y/N laid on the couch, feet perched on top of Tom's lap, getting comfortable. Betty and Miles slept on the carpets of Tom's living room. They just sort of crawled to the floor in delight and just stayed there, too tired to move anywhere else. Haz came back to the living room, holding a bottle of champagne on his hands from the Hollands' cupboards.

He cheered. "Let's celebrate!"

But they celebrated the victory by sleeping out for an entire day spread all over the Hollands' house.

Even though their project was finished, the lot still remained close with each other. They spent times at Miles' favourite diner by the corner of the campus during their collective free time.

And last week, Haz's sister gave birth to a pretty baby girl. Haz invited them over and they all came to join the little house party his sister threw. The group counted on this as the official celebration of their hard work.

It was a Thursday afternoon. Family and friends chatted and caught up with each other in the Osterfield's backyard. Dream by Fleetwood Mac could be heard playing on the living room speakers.

Tom was talking with his dad. Betty and Ned sat at the garden chairs talking to one of Haz's brothers. Those two really were people persons. Miles and Y/N laughed at a hilarious history joke their professor rambled about. Tom tried to pay them no mind, though his glance drifted to them every now and then. His dad eventually noticed the shift in his mood, but decided to ignore it because his mum came to them, carrying Haz's niece. Tom accepted the baby to his arms while his mum and dad went to the kitchen.

Lily, the smol bean's eyes crinkled with joy and giggled. Her chubby little hands reached out to him. Tom stuck his tongue out affectionately her. He turned his head to the low whistle he heard.

"Wow... Daddy," Y/N smirked.

That day was all fun and games, but by the end it they still had school stuff to catch up on. A few weeks later, they decided to cram in the library.

Nothing feels better than suffering with acads together friends.

The group sat in a table by the corner, immersed in their own world. Tom went to the bookshelves to look for an autobiography book his proffesor suggested. Ned was compiling essays on his laptop. Miles was reading a book by Neil Gaiman. Haz and Betty were doing their Calculus homework.

Y/N's chin rested on her hands, staring blankly at her laptop screen. A straight line blinked repeatedly on the ends of the only sentence she typed.

What the fuck |

She just needed a head start on this critique paper. Nothing too heavy, just one paragraph to kick it all into place. That's where it's always hard. The first line. So now she's stuck with cursing. Before Y/N realize it, she's slumped her face down to the wooden table with a light bang. The group lifted their eyes to her, asking if she was alright. She shoved her thumbs up above her head, and they went back to what they what they were doing.

Haz who sat on her right, patted her back. "Same here, sis," he fought back a yawn.

Her eyes felt heavy. Then she groggily looked up to the little 'thunk' dropped on the table.

"Oh, great you're alive," she muttered before setting her face back on the table again.

Tom pulled his chair beside her. "Miss me already? I was barely gone for a few minutes."

"I'm so blessed to be with your presence," she stated in a monotonous voice.

Tom snorted. "Your professor is really gonna give you an A+ with those colorful words. 'What the fuck,' short but sweet."

She looked up and stuck her tongue out. Seeing his face has started to get old ... she tried convincing herself that, though.

They did their business. Ever so often, Y/N and Tom's elbows would brush against each other. Y/N had her earphones on, listening to her shuffled playlist on Spotify. Tom heard muffled tunes, and turned his head closer.

"What are you listening to?" He whispered; his breath fanned the side of her neck that sent chills up her spine.

She didn't look at him and instead continued to write key points to make on her essay. She spoke, her voice low. "This one's called Uncomfortable by Wallows."

He grinned and leaned even closer. "Can I listen?"

From across the table, Ned took 10 bucks from his wallet and shoved it on Betty’s hand. She pumped her fist in a silent triumph.

Y/N shifted her head to look at him, only to find his cute, devilishly handsome face inches away from hers. If she would tilt her head a little... their lips would touch. They locked eyes for a second, before she plucked one earphone and gave it to him.

He cocked his head, liking the song. Minutes passed. The only noises were from turning book pages, soft patter of keys on the laptops, and bits of hushed voices encompassed the area.

An hour later, Y/N felt herself getting hungry and went out to buy food, Betty tagging along. They ate outside since the library was strict on the 'NO eating policy.' Not even other drinks are allowed, only water. The others stayed behind. Then Betty came back to her seat.

"Where's Y/N?"

Betty sat on her chair, "She's outside, still eating."

Tom nodded and felt himself getting hungry, too. He opened his backpack and took a bag of Cheetos he stashed. He stood and said to them he was gonna eat outside. He went out, and spotted her leaning on a pillar, scooping ice cream out of a cup.

"I'm starving," he stood beside her.

"We've been there for ages," she scooped another spoonful of mint chocolate ice cream she got from the shop across the street.

Tom munched on his Cheetos. He turned to look at her happily savoring her ice cream. He moved for Y/N's ice cream cup but she swerved it out of his reach.

"Get your own," she swatted his arms away.

A thought crossed his mind. It reminded him of the last time they did this at his kitchen, over a slice of cake. And how they've been so close...

For the past few months, he's gotten a strange feeling whenever Y/N was around. Like there's an electric buzz in him, his heart would warm up at the sight of her. He couldn't stay away from her, and he wants to know her better, and feel her and just be there right beside her. He couldn't explain it.

Tom grinned at the memory, chucking a piece of Cheetos on his mouth. He stepped forward. "D'you wanna know how Cheetos and mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like together?" he leaned closer to her face; his breath hot against her skin. His gaze shifted down to her parted lips. "You know, for research purposes..."

"Hmm?" She held her eyes up on his own gleaming brown ones. "Probably good. Anything's good with mint chocolate ice cream."

"Yeah?" His hands reached out to move the strands of her hair away from her face. "Wanna test it out?"

She shrugged.

Tom found his hand on the back of her neck and slammed his lips to hers. Y/N's eyes fluttered shut. He tasted full of that cheesy goodness. And her, a heavenly taste of vanilla and the aroma of mint. Her arm stretched out to keep the ice cream cup away. She parted from his lips to set the cup down onto the pillar. He wrapped his arms to her waist, pulling her flush against him. With her now empty hands, she ran her fingers on his soft brown curls. She tugged at the strands, eliciting a low guttural sound from him muffled by her mouth on his.

He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead on hers, breathless. "We should get back inside to do ... stuff."

"No no. Don't care." She pulled the back of his neck and closed their distance again. He chuckled.

Y/N loved the way their mouths danced to a rhythm, flavors mixing together from the forgotten taste-testing session, now a different kind of session.

A hand still on her waist, the other cupped her cheeks and tilted her chin to give him more access. She wrapped both her arms around his neck, welcoming warm the feelings burning inside her.

They parted, but still inches away from each other. Y/N bit his lower lip. Tom hissed in surprise but she kissed it better.

"So ... what do you think?" He murmured in a low voice.

"Mmm, I like it." Cheetos and ice cream forgotten.

"Yeah?" He grinned at her. "Me too."

Seconds lapsed. Neither of them moved, still stuck in a more romantic version of a staring contest.

"I like you." Tom's heartbeat raced.

She grinned back at him. "I like you, too. Like 3000. I like you that much."

-

Roll the end credits.

[glorious-blackout]

Soooo @rock-n-roll-fantasy wanted me to write an essay on my self-indulgent theory that Muse’s ‘Simulation Theory’ and Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ are set in the same universe, and my brain rather predictably used this as an opportunity to develop a novel-length crossover fic instead. I’m starting to doubt that the full idea will ever get written purely because life has a habit of getting in the way, but here’s a bit of an overlong teaser in place of your essay! 😉🥰

*************************************

The trek from Room 521 to the ballroom is a long, monotonous one. Not that that particularly matters; even if Mark didn’t know every corridor like the back of his hand, he no doubt would have been guided to his destination regardless, simply by following the growing ruckus of banal chatter overlying soft musical notes. His own band won’t be the ones playing tonight – thank Christ seeing as he barely has the energy to hold a mic for two hours let alone sing into it – but the prospect of spending the evening alone in his room had hardly been tempting. He could have arranged to meet one of the lads for a drink, he supposes, but he hadn’t wanted to impose. They all have lives beyond the hotel after all, whereas he remains tied to its walls like an obedient dog on a leash.

High-ceilinged corridors eventually lure him towards a set of heavy oak doors, the only veil remaining between him and a horde of guests who by now are likely enjoying their third glass of champagne. Muffled conversations become crystal clear for a moment as one guest stumbles onto the corridor looking considerably worse for wear, but the noise is quickly silenced by an exaggerated slam. The guest sways on his feet for a moment, narrowed eyes struggling to maintain focus on Mark’s face, before he huffs and takes the first step of what promises to be an arduous journey back to his room. No doubt he’ll have collapsed in a pool of his own vomit before he’s even halfway there, adding one more job to the cleaners’ already overflowing pile in the process. Mark sighs, already regretting his decision to be sociable, and forces himself over the threshold before he can change his mind.

The ballroom does ignite a certain pride within his chest, he must admit. The spacious hall - resting beneath a curved ceiling kept afloat by granite columns - is a stark contrast to the narrow claustrophobic corridors leading up to it, and the size is adequate enough that the space never feels too crowded. Waiters flit back and forth between packed circular tables on the fringes, offering blessed champagne or scotch from a well-stocked bar, and an elevated platform at the far-end of the hall proudly showcases the evening’s entertainment.  

It would appear the choice of dance tonight is a simple waltz. Guests dressed to the nines in elegant frocks and sharp tuxedos glide effortlessly along the polished dancefloor; guided by lilting piano notes as they sway beneath the soft light of a glittering chandelier. As usual, Mark feels no particular inclination to join them. On occasion, he himself will be the one sat by the piano, enticing his guests to dance for him whenever the evening feels a little too stagnant, but it would appear that his influence is not needed tonight. Besides, the only thing enticing him for the moment is the bar.

Despite having to make his way through the masses in order to reach his destination, luck must be on his side for no-one takes the opportunity to disturb him. He must have timed his trip well enough that the drinks are already taking hold, to the point where the hotel owner himself has become an unnoteworthy presence. His short walk to the bar goes entirely without a hitch, so much so that it probably shouldn’t surprise him when he arrives to find that his luck has run dry.

There’s someone sitting in his usual spot. Logically he knows this isn’t an issue; there are plenty of free stools lined up against the horseshoe-shaped counter, but the sight gives him pause nonetheless. For as long as he can remember, that centerfold seat has been his and his alone, and the sight of someone new sitting there has unease coiling in his gut for reasons he cannot explain. If that were the strangest thing about this situation then he could have moved on and settled himself elsewhere without another thought, but what truly makes him gape is the appearance of the man who has seen fit to take his place.

In stark contrast to the stylish formalwear adorning the vast majority of guests, this man seems to have made it his mission to break every rule of fashion there is. The loud red jeans and shiny trainers would no doubt have been bad enough on their own, but in comparison to the gaudy nylon jacket and the lit neon sunglasses which remain fused to his face despite being indoors, the lower half of his body looks positively tame. Intricate circuitry is affixed to the front of the jacket, with wires snaking their way into a large pocket which no doubt houses a switch designed to make the jacket as loud as the sunglasses. Mark can’t help but wonder how this man hasn’t attracted any unwanted attention and has instead been left to cradle his glass of bourbon in relative peace. Perhaps this is the current fashion trend on Earth and someone has simply forgotten to give Mark that particular memo.

Shaking his head once and remembering his mother sternly telling him that staring is rude, Mark clears his throat and gestures to the free stool by his side when a pair of concealed eyes turn in his direction.  

“Mind if I take this seat?” he asks, well aware that he of all people shouldn’t need to ask permission.

A knowing smile graces the man’s thin face and he nods graciously, removing his glasses to reveal surprisingly gentle blue eyes. He appears more normal up close than Mark anticipated, barring a pair of impressively sharp cheekbones and a hairstyle so haphazard he doubts an intense combing session would tame it.

“Be my guest,” the man offers in an accent which turns out to be English, to Mark’s not unpleasant surprise. Besides the lads, he can’t remember the last time he encountered someone from home. “Though I imagine that’s usually your line.”

A surprised laugh escapes Mark at the lame joke, causing the stranger to grin proudly before taking another generous sip of bourbon. Mark considers calling the waiter over – the impressive display of booze resting before him is enough to make his mouth water – but the man in question appears to be preoccupied with an uptight elderly couple nearby, and besides, his curiosity is already threatening to consume him. The booze can wait.

“Love what you’ve done with the place,” the man interjects before Mark can ask the question weighing on his mind. The words escape like a bullet, so rapidly that the compliment could easily be dismissed as flippant, but the stranger’s smile seems sincere enough. “You’ve got one hell of a mind, Turner.”

There’s a gravity to his tone that Mark can’t quite comprehend, but he doesn’t dwell on it.  

“How did you get here?” Mark asks, aiming for a conversational tone only to flinch when the words emerge as confrontational instead. In an attempt to save face, he adds, “I don’t remember greeting you at the station, is all.”

‘I would have remembered if I had’ goes unsaid, though the implication doesn’t appear to be lost on his new companion.

“Interdimensional portal,” he replies without missing a beat, bringing his glass to his lips once more as he gazes at Mark with mischief in his eyes and a challenge in his smirk.

The ensuing silence is broken almost immediately as Mark bursts out laughing again; an action which appears to serve as an invitation for the other man to join him. The high-pitched giggle is unexpected, but the sound of it is enough to melt some of Mark’s lingering unease.

“I doubt technology’s reached that stage yet,” Mark teases once he’s recovered his composure. “Not unless they’re keeping secrets from me back home.”  

“I wouldn’t sound so sure if I were you,” the man retaliates, that same challenge resting on his lips and a single brow quirked upwards with mocking intent. “How long has it been since you visited Earth?”

The lightness in Mark’s chest vanishes for a moment and his brows knit together as he ponders the question. Strange. Now that he thinks about it, he honestly can’t recall how long it’s been.

When it becomes clear that no answer is forthcoming, his companion simply shrugs before facing ahead once more, demolishing the rest of his drink with a single gulp. It’s impossible to tell how much he’s had already. His current glass barely seems to have touched him, unless his strange approach to conversation is merely the product of drunken ramblings. He makes no move to relinquish his seat however, nor does he signal to the now-free waiter for a refill, and Mark finds himself facing straight ahead as he contemplates the choice lying before him.

On the one hand, this man is clearly strange. The unease which continues to coil in his gut is proof enough of that, and Mark imagines that walking away now would spare him a world a confusion. His eyelids feel heavy enough as it is without his mind being weighed down as well.  

On the other hand, he honestly can’t remember the last time he had a conversation that was so... spontaneous. He’s grown accustomed to forced chats about hotel business and band rehearsals, to the point where he can’t remember the last time anyone made him laugh in pleasant surprise. Until tonight that is.  

And honestly, what is his alternative? Mingling with the guests and sweeping up compliments about the taqueria, or the pool, or the perfect view of Earth offered by the casino’s transparent ceiling? Having to listen to rich businessmen divulge their recent purchases of eye-wateringly expensive yachts or starships, while wives half their age hang onto their arm and pretend to look interested?

It isn’t really a contest in the end.

Decision made, Mark gestures to the waiter, who approaches with what he suspects is a put-on smile. To the man’s credit, said smile doesn’t falter even when he casts a sideways glance towards his boss’s unconventional choice of companion.

“Sixteen-year-old Lagavulin please, Andrew,” Mark orders with an easy smile of his own. “And one for my friend here as well.”

Andrew hesitates for only a moment before preparing the drinks with practiced ease, applying a crystallised ball of ice to Mark’s glass once both whiskies are poured. At his side, the mysterious stranger eyes Mark with what appears to be surprise at this unprompted display of generosity, but the smile returns soon enough as he takes his drink in hand and thanks Andrew with all the grace of a perfect gent.

“You trying to get me drunk, Turner?” he teases, though if he’s opposed to the idea he doesn’t show it.

“Just hoping for some interesting conversation,” Mark responds with a wry smirk of his own. “Scotch usually helps with that, I’ve found.”

Without further ado, he takes a sip and closes his eyes in satisfaction as the golden liquid instantly works its magic. A pleasant burn trails down his throat until warmth settles in his belly, and any lingering stress drifts away like smoke on a breeze.

“You can call me Mark by the way,” he says, raising his glass as an invitation. “It’s about time we introduced ourselves, don’t you think?”

A flicker of unidentifiable emotion crosses over his companion’s face, just for a second, before he returns Mark’s easy smile and brings their glasses together with a soft clink.

“Matthew,” he says, which strikes Mark as such an ordinary name for one committed to looking so extraordinary. “But you can call me Matt. Everyone else does.”

Mark nods in acknowledgement before returning to his drink, and they wile away the following minutes in companiable silence. The band appear to have moved on from classical waltzes and are now playing a smooth jazz number, the seductive groove of the double-bass soothing Mark into closing his eyes and forgetting the hundreds of guests gathered nearby. The chatter has died down slightly since his arrival, but the odd clink of a glass or drunken laugh is enough to assure him that he’s not entirely alone. Not as alone as he would have been had he remained in his room with only the hotel blueprints and a virtual reality mask for company.

In a few more moments he may even have found himself forgetting Matt’s presence, but it isn’t long before his reverie is broken by a now-familiar voice.

“What do you know of ‘Simulation Theory’?” Matt asks flippantly, as though it’s the most ordinary question in the world. The fact that Mark can only stare dumbly for several seconds is likely a sign that his scotch is already beginning to take hold, but he eventually forces himself to give a resigned shrug.

“Not much,” he admits. The name doesn’t sound familiar in the slightest, though he’ll admit that he isn’t known for scouring scientific journals. “I suspect that’s about to change though.”  

That statement seems to be invitation enough for Matt, who downs the rest of his drink without so much as a flinch before launching into what appears to be a well-practiced spiel.

Mark can only try to keep up between finishing one drink and ordering another, as Matt starts explaining the concept of computers advancing to the point where they can simulate the laws of physics, so much so that the future of interplanetary travel may end up being achieved via the means of simulated reality - unlimited by the demands of the fragile human body - rather than old-fashioned means such as starships or satellites as ancient sci-fi shows had predicted. The whole lecture is delivered in what must be Matt’s typical rapid-fire delivery; Mark would likely have been left with little breathing room even if he had been entirely sober, which he is becoming less and less so as the evening wears on. With his keen enthusiasm and eccentric hand movements, Mark reckons Matt would have made an excellent physics professor in another life if the concepts escaping his mind weren’t so utterly ridiculous.

“Which of course poses the question,” Matt concludes eventually, pausing to stop for breath. A pleasant buzz is coursing through Mark’s veins by this point, and he rests his head on one hand as he studies Matt with an amused smile. “If we conclude that it is feasibly possible for technology to exist which is capable of simulating reality so convincingly, who is to say that it hasn’t already happened? What if we’re all just cogs in a machine, believing our decisions are our own and that everything around us is real, when in actuality we’re being watched and studied and controlled? Like ants under a microscope?”

“Hmm,” Mark ponders the question as best he can, taking another sip despite knowing it won’t help. It strikes him that the whisky has already rendered him soft and sleepy, whereas Matt doesn’t appear to have been affected at all despite the fact that he’s clearly had more. As quick as his delivery is, Mark can’t even recall hearing a slur. “Like characters in a videogame or summat?”

“Something like that I suppose,” Matt concurs, though there’s a tension in his skinny frame that implies Mark has barely scratched the surface. “What do you reckon would happen if a videogame character realised they were trapped in a videogame? That their entire lives were a fiction and that someone else was in control?”

“I imagine they’d spiral into existential dread,” Mark concludes with a dismissive shrug, polishing off what must be his third glass and placing it face-down on the countertop. It would probably be best if he stops now, seeing as Matt appears to be in a philosophical mood. “Good thing they can’t think or feel anything then, isn’t it? They just do as they’re told.”

An amused smirk graces Matt’s face and there’s a glint in those blue eyes that implies he wants to add something, but he keeps his mouth firmly shut. For now at least. Mark uses this window of silence to wipe the exhaustion from his eyes before casting a glance around the ballroom. It’s still relatively busy. The band have given no indication that they’re approaching the end of their set, and so long as the drinks keep flowing, there will always be ample opportunity for dancing and conversation. He loses himself for a moment as he observes the movements of the guests gracing the dancefloor; everyone from beautiful newlyweds to elderly couples celebrating their golden anniversaries locked in intimate embraces, with eyes only for each other. Matt’s musings weave their way through his mind and he finds himself searching for flaws in the system; a hint that what he’s seeing isn’t all it appears to be. He scans the faces of the guests to see if he can find any duplication; eavesdrops on nearby conversations in search of generic, repetitive sentences. He feels the warm cotton of his suit and the cool condensation on his glass and the sticky sweat on the palm of his hand, only to conclude that it all must surely be real. He knows all-too-well what it’s like to wander lucidly through a dream, and this isn’t one.

Still, the possibility is fascinating. Ludicrous, but fascinating.  

“Let’s say you’re right,” he starts, taking a moment to select his next words carefully. He doesn’t usually feel the need to be so cautious in conversation, but Matt’s ability to spout ridiculous theories with the utmost confidence has left him feeling like he’s playing catch-up. “And let’s say that we’re the ones trapped in this game, or simulation, or whatever you want to call it.”

Matt turns to him as though shocked that Mark’s actually giving his ramblings any consideration, and he can’t help but wonder how many times he’s been shot down in the past. He pauses, half-expecting an interruption, but Matt’s only response is a smile followed by an encouraging nod.

“What if there’s a reason behind the fiction?” he proposes, more confidently now. “What if we’ve been trapped in a game because reality is terrible.”

“And therein lies our conundrum!” Matt says, eyes lighting up with childlike glee as he leans back and slams his hand on the counter. Tending to a guest a few seats away, Andrew side-eyes him warily, perhaps wondering if he’ll be forced to escort another drunk from the premises soon, but Mark’s total lack of concern seems to reassure him. “Is it better to exist within a terrible reality or a beautiful lie?”

The hypothetical weight of the question stumps Mark for a moment. Any thoughts which had previously been running through his mind fragment like shattered glass, leaving only a warm fuzz in their place. He lets himself imagine what it would be like to have an all-powerful, all-seeing creature manipulate his thoughts - moulding them like clay - and despite the room’s pleasant warmth, he finds himself shivering. It’s not that he believes Matt’s theories – far from it – but pondering the question elicits the same uncertainty planted by movies like his beloved Blade Runner; makes him contemplate deep, existential ‘What-ifs’ until sleep eludes him and a shiver creeps up his spine.

When the power of speech finally returns to him, he finds the words spilling forth without having crossed his mind beforehand.

“I think we’re both a little too drunk for philosophical discussions, don’t you agree?” he says blankly, though upon hearing the words even he is left utterly unconvinced. He may already be able to anticipate the crushing headache that morning will bring, but he’s managed to remain somewhat lucid so far. Matt, damn him, doesn’t appear to have been affected by the alcohol at all. Nor does he seem willing to let Mark back down; instead he pointedly says nothing as his lips curl upwards in an unspoken challenge.  

Mark sighs, before forcing himself to answer the question with one of his own.

“If the fiction is so convincing that you could go from birth to death without realising it is a fiction, does it really make a difference?”

“A fair point,” Matt concedes with a shrug, though Mark doesn’t miss the way his expression darkens. A twitch in his jaw implies that his words have struck a nerve, only he can’t possibly see why that would be the case. He expects Matt to elaborate further – to quash his argument with a clever retaliation – but he simply turns back towards the wall of booze and signals to Andrew to bring him another glass of scotch. The temptation to tell him that he’ll need to be carried back to his room on a stretcher if he carries on like this is momentarily overwhelming, but the words remain glued to Mark’s tongue like resin. His mouth feels as dry as sandpaper and the flurry of unease which had been temporarily dispelled returns with a burning vengeance. All he can do is watch as Matt gratefully accepts what must be his fifth glass and gulps half of it down his throat without the slightest hint of hesitation.

Something stirs in the back of Mark’s mind. A distant memory perhaps; a vague flicker of recognition which had lain buried until this moment. He can honestly swear he has never laid eyes on Matt before today, but it strikes him that their camaraderie has been a little too easy tonight. Almost as though he should know Matt from his previous life on Earth.

But he doesn’t. He knows that for a fact, and any treacherous doubts suggesting otherwise are swiftly cast aside with an urgency he can’t explain.

It doesn’t take long for Matt to polish off his glass, setting it down on the counter with a finality which suggests it’ll be his last of the night. Just as well, Mark thinks. He can feel the evening beginning to wind down already, and he can feel fatigue settling into his bones.

Before he can offer to foot the bill, his companion finally decides to pipe up again. Any trace of his earlier bravado appears to have abandoned him, leaving him crouched and visibly exhausted, his voice impossibly small.

“If nothing is real – if everything around us truly is a fiction - then it stands to reason that there’s no underlying purpose to our existence. Our lives are there to serve as meaningless entertainment for something lurking in the shadows and nothing more. So everything we do or say, everyone we love...none of it matters in the end. Not really.”

He looks directly at Mark then, his once gentle blue eyes burning with an intensity that makes him want to shrink back like a frightened child. A silly notion really. Of all the words to describe Matt, ‘threatening’ doesn’t immediately come to mind, but the discomfort lingers regardless. Matt must notice, for he averts his eyes to the floor almost immediately and offers a small, apologetic smile as recompense.

“I just don’t think I could live with that,” he concludes with a certainty that has Mark’s chest tightening. “No matter how beautiful the lie is.”

A beat passes. Then another. Mark becomes all-too aware of his heart pounding in his chest, trying to assure him that he’s okay; that he’s solid and real. It occurs to him that he has forgotten how to breathe, and the discomfort in his chest outweighs the soothing burn the scotch had planted there earlier.  

Matt doesn’t say anything else. Instead he runs a hand through his wayward hair, before ultimately deciding that fidgeting with his discarded sunglasses would be a better use of his time. Against his better judgement, Mark allows the weight of his words to sink in and momentarily imagines an existence in which all of his actions are pre-determined, his thoughts carefully filtered. Where everyone he loves are simply figments of expertly-written code. Where any responsibilities he may have are ultimately unimportant.

A simpler existence perhaps, but a wholly purposeless one.  

“I don’t think I’d want to live like that either,” he admits quietly, so much so that he’s amazed Matt hears him. He must do however, for the words force him to look at Mark again, his expression unreadable besides a hint of sadness in deep blue eyes.  

There doesn’t appear to be anything more to say. Words escape him - even the simple courtesies which usually come so naturally - and yet he cannot bring himself to look away. Matt seems to be in the same predicament. For a moment it’s as though they’re both gazing into a supernova, unwilling to look away despite knowing full well that the sight will blind them.

For the first time all evening he finds himself missing his friends. His Matt would have told him to snap out of it by now and Jamie or Nick would have called him a twat for getting so worked up about meaningless theories, and while Mark may have retaliated with a pointed ‘fuck off’, he no doubt would have felt lighter in their presence.

In the end it’s Matt who breaks the spell first. His eyes are drawn from Mark’s face to something lurking in the background, and a palpable shift overcomes him as thin lips are pulled into a grim line. Beneath soft overhead lights, Matt visibly pales and his pupils dilate with what Mark can only presume is fear, and white fists clench so tightly around his glasses that it’s amazing they don’t shatter. Dread claws into Mark’s chest with no explanation, and before curiosity can swallow him whole, he turns his head to follow Matt’s eyeline.

It only takes a moment to locate what has grabbed his friend’s attention. The new arrivals have barely made an effort to blend in after all. Standing out among the throng of increasingly drunk guests, two men linger at the far end of the hall, eyes obscured by dark sunglasses and twin postures stiff and unyielding. Both are clad in leather jackets which are only slightly less conspicuous than Matt’s own, and once again a treacherous flicker of recognition ignites in Mark’s brain before sputtering into a puff of smoke. The taller man must be pushing six feet, his brown hair cropped short and a 5 o’clock shadow darkening his features as effectively as the scowl on his lips. The smaller man must be around Mark’s height and appears slightly less threatening for it, though from a distance he almost resembles Matt himself with the exception of his dirty-blond hair.  

For a moment Mark wonders if the two men are members of his own security team, seeking out Matt on grounds of a misdemeanor which Mark has been blissfully unaware of all night. Matt doesn’t necessarily look surprised to see them after all, though their presence certainly disturbs him. That thought is cast aside quickly, however. Mark has made an effort to familiarise himself with every member of his workforce, and even if these two are last-minute recruits, their outfits don’t resemble any worn by the rest of his staff.

The not-so-concealed carry lurking on their belts is hardly a feature of his security team either.

Blood freezing as two hidden pairs of eyes settle on the bar and its occupants, Mark turns to Matt in a panic; mouth open with the intention of voicing a warning, or demanding an explanation, or both, but Matt is already one step ahead of him. Those awful neon sunglasses are back on his face, albeit he has the good sense not to activate them this time, and he throws some crumpled notes onto the counter before turning to Mark with what is no doubt supposed to be a reassuring smile. It doesn’t work of course, though he imagines Matt is well-aware of that.  

As a gesture of goodwill, Matt places a firm hand on Mark’s shoulder and offers what sounds like a very final farewell.

“It was good to see you again, Alex.”

And then he’s off, wandering past the quickly emptying dining tables and mixing with the assorted bodies on the dancefloor. Fat lot of good it does; he has about as much chance of blending in here as a giraffe does hiding among a gang of meerkats. Casting a glance towards the mysterious arrivals, Mark spots them making their way towards the dancefloor, the only indication of urgency being the grim determination on their faces. They don’t seem to have any interest in him for the moment, but that prospect brings him little in the way of relief. Instead he simply feels nausea crawling up his throat, and as Matt threatens to escape his eyeline, a new madness takes hold and compels him to follow.  

Keeping Matt in his sights is more difficult than he’d hoped it would be. As much as he stands out among the crowd of dancers, once Mark finds himself trapped within that very crowd, his ability to focus on what’s directly ahead of him falters. The band has gone and a DJ has taken their place, enticing drunk youths to stumble to and fro under the guise of dancing, and Mark finds himself being roughly grabbed more than once by revelers inviting him to join in. One man pointedly tells him to “fuck off” when he manages to free his arm from his tight grip, before swanning off to harass some other poor sod, but Mark forces himself to recover quickly and carries on with his misguided pursuit. Later it will occur to him that he is not usually in the habit of hiring DJs, nor is the ballroom usually so crowded at this late hour as the casino tends to attract the night-owls, but for now all he can focus on is Matt’s retreating back sneaking onto one of the many corridors adjoining the hall.  

Mark follows him seconds later, having escaped the horde with his limbs intact; not daring to look back to check if their assailants have located them. It occurs to him that as hotel owner, he could abuse his status and stand in their way in order to buy time, but he’s not sure he trusts them to resist putting a bullet in his head for insubordination. He may not have the faintest idea of what’s going on, but it feels so much bigger than him somehow. Like he’s been handed solid proof that everything he’s achieved – the hotel, his band, his reputation – is meaningless in the grand scale of the universe.

He stumbles onto the corridor just in time to spot Matt turning right at the far end, and he follows as quickly as he dares. The next turn is a left, then another left, then a right... an endless maze of blinding white walls and hotel room doors, flanked by sprouting monstrosities emerging from intricately painted plant-pots. After a while it seems like Matt has deliberately chosen this route to tease him, and he begins to wonder if this entire evening has been a devilish ploy, but the thought has barely had a chance to take hold when he finally reaches the end of the line.  

There is no turning point at the end of this corridor. Only an unassuming wooden door leading into what appears to be a store cupboard. There aren’t even any hotel rooms remaining in this section; instead the route ahead is lined with marble columns sporting busts with expressionless faces.

Mark only manages one step forward before freezing, as icy fingers of dread crawl up his spine and clutch his heart in a fierce grip.  

No being in the universe knows this hotel better than he does. He knows every room, every corridor, every little nook and cranny as surely as he knows his own name. As well he should; he designed every inch of the place.

And yet, he can say with absolute certainty that he has never laid eyes on this corridor before. Not even in a passing dream.  

Before he can blame the obvious hallucination on the scotch, or even glance back in search of Matt’s pursuers, the silence is shattered by a blinding red light emanating from the cupboard door, illuminating the corridor in time with a sharp, mechanical whine. Mark raises a hand to his eyes as the light pulses in time with his heartbeat - giving untouched walls the appearance of being drenched in blood - and the accompanying noise slams against his eardrums with unrelenting ferocity. Against his better judgement, he presses onward, cowering as the assault on his senses intensifies with every step. No doubt he will be left with nothing but regret as a result of this choice, but he fears the lack of answers will drive him mad if he doesn’t see what lies beyond that door.  

Besides, Matt must be in there. There’s nowhere else he could have gone, and Mark has little desire to leave him for dead.  

The pulsating doesn’t stop until he reaches the door. Body trembling in the quiet aftermath, he takes a moment to recover as the light’s echo persists with every blink of his eyes and a sharp ringing assaults his ears. His breathing sounds painfully uneven in spite of his efforts to remain calm, and he can feel his heart hammering away in an attempt to break free from his chest. He finds himself wishing he could explain away these last ten minutes, but his mind feels numb with uncertainty and the alcohol certainly isn’t helping. Has it even been ten minutes since he’d been sitting at the bar? It simultaneously feels like it’s been mere seconds and several hours since he was enjoying his evening without a care in the world.

The cupboard door remains unopened, the handle a seductive enchantress promising answers he isn’t sure he wants. This new silence doesn’t bode well, and his lack of familiarity with this section of the hotel only increases his chances of running into danger on the way back. There is no doubt in his mind that he’s damned regardless of what he does however; he may as well sate his curiosity in the meantime.  

A cool trickle of sweat slides down his cheek as a trembling hand curls around the door handle, and he pulls sharply before sanity can take hold, expecting resistance but receiving none.  

It seems he will have to settle for not receiving answers either.

The cupboard is empty.

******************************

The details of how he stumbled back to Room 521 and wound up sprawled on his bed are a murky blur. Even as his drunken haze makes way for a pounding headache, he can only recall glimpses of dragging his feet back the way he came; wandering through an almost deserted ballroom followed by similarly empty corridors, before eventually collapsing into bed with a crushing exhaustion. Despite his fears, he never did end up encountering those two assailants on his way back, nor did he glean any further clues as to Matt’s whereabouts. All three men had vanished into the night as mysteriously as they’d appeared, and a numb regret settling over his mind is enough to assure him that he will never see Matt again.

That is, if he even existed in the first place. As the night wears on, he begins to feel more inclined to put the evening’s events down to the drunken hallucinations of a lonely mind. Perhaps if he calls Jamie in the morning, he can put his mind at ease and call him a silly twat, erasing the whole sorry ordeal in the space of one conversation. The urge to pick up the phone now is almost too tempting to resist, but he stays put for now. There’s no need to bother his friend with the drunken ramblings of a madman. Not at this hour anyway.  

Reassurance can wait. For now, he desperately needs sleep which is stubbornly unforthcoming.  

He misses the presence of moonlight. That notion is so strange that a weak rebellious smile tugs at his lips, before the bitter sting of tears replaces it. Homesickness is unlike him – he has never been inclined to hop on a rocket and return home no matter how easy it would be – but right now his yearning for Earth feels suffocating. He misses the moon’s comforting presence in the sky and the wonder it had elicited from him as a child. He misses it hanging overhead as he wandered along silent streets with friends and lovers, singing and kissing and stumbling drunkenly as joyous laughter broke through the relative peace. He misses waking up with his heart in his throat and a new lyric in his head, only to be soothed instantly by luminous streaks of light.  

All he has here is thick, empty darkness which seems intent on crushing him down to dust.

Those memories of home seem so distant now. Unreachable; locked away in a chest sporting a rusted padlock and buried deep beneath the realm of consciousness. Perhaps it would be best if they remained buried. Even if Mark were capable of digging them up and freeing them from their prison, the sheer weight of the memories within would surely drown him in an instant.    

Mark shakes his head and closes his eyes before bitter tears can trail down his cheeks. It would be best not to dwell on such things. His nights are sleepless enough as it is.  

It only occurs to him later, as unblinking eyes linger on the ceiling above, that Matt had casually referred to him as ‘Alex’ and that the thought of questioning it hadn’t even crossed his mind.

[emilyjunk]

In addition to the Bellas, Emily plays intramural volleyball against other barden university teams. She tries to hide it from the other girls, but when moms bechloe find out they bring the whole Bella fam to cheer her on?

this is sort of not really what you asked for but anyway...

Chloe has often been told she’s the Mama Bear of the Bellas. Notjust because she’s older than the rest of them, but she has a tendency to worrylike a mom.

Perhaps it’s hernatural disposition, or maybe it’s just that her own mother’s habits instilledthemselves in her during her upbringing, but Chloe’s always reminding theBellas to bring their jackets places, asking them if they’ve eaten and havebeen drinking enough water. She checks in on their grades and their homework,makes sure they’re getting enough sleep and practicing safe sexual habits.

Sometimes they teaseher about it, calling her Mom and rolling their eyes, but it doesn’t botherher. Being the motherly one is just part of who she is and that’s never gonnachange. In fact, it’s probably just gonna grow stronger over time.

Such is the case whenEmily joins the Bellas.

For all her flaws, herquirks, her infuriating ability to completely ruin a riff-off, Chloeloves Emily.

Emily is cute andoptimistic, talented and fun. She makes Chloe’s motherly instincts light uplike a pinball machine. She finds herself constantly watching to make sureEmily’s handling the transition into college okay.

She asks Emily abouther classes, takes her out for ice cream, and makes her tea with honey in theevenings after intense vocal practices. Emily seems to take it all in stride,happy if not confused at Chloe’s tendency to hover.

“Yeah, she does thissometimes. You get used to it,” Stacie tells her the first time Chloe handsEmily a packed lunch on her long day and stuffs a pastry in her hand before sheheads off to class, telling her that breakfast is the most important meal ofthe day and don’t forget to turnin that essay.

Chloe just wants herfriends and family to be their best and succeed and most of all, be happy,safe, and healthy.

She loves them! Isthat such a crime?

Like, that’s why she’sstuck around all this time, right? Who else is going to make sure these girlsdon’t eat pizza for every meal?

So she watches, andshe worries, and she reminds them to take care of themselves.

It’s just who she is.

//

The first time sheworries more than usual about Emily is when she notices Emily has bruises allup and down her legs one day at rehearsal.

“Emily, what are thosefrom?”

Emily follows Chloe’sgaze to her legs, her cheeks pinking when she sees what Chloe’s looking at.“Oh. Nothing. I’m clumsy. Fall down a lot, you know? My mom says I neverproperly grew into my legs and that’s why I can’t walk across flat surfaceswithout tripping.”

“Legacy, you talk toomuch,” Amy murmurs behind a yawn and Chloe scrunches her nose when Emily justnods.

“Yeah. I gotta pee,”she blurts out and makes a beeline for the restroom, almost like she’s avoidingChloe. Chloe’s pretty sure that’s what happening anyway. Emily is a littleweird and kind of spontaneous like that, but she seemed a little evasive.

Chloe notices thesethings because she’s the mothering type. Thems just the facts.

She decides to keep aneye on her.

//

She notices that Emilyis constantly covered in bruises. Like, Emily is clumsy, but nobody is thatclumsy. And she always seems to avoid Bellas stuff on Tuesdays specifically.

Chloe notices thisbecause she cares.

Not because she’screepy.

//

Emily’s weird behaviorcontinues. Like when Chloe asks her to get dinner with her and Stacie one nightand Emily’s eyes go wide.

“Uh. I can’t. I have…a thing.”

And then she promptlyspins around to loudly ask Jessica if she has a hair tie.

Like??

It’s not that Chloecares if Emily has a thing, but why does she have to be so suspicious about it?It makes Chloe, well… suspicious.

And Chloe does notlike to be suspicious.

//

She’s not crazy, okay?

She’s motherly.

That’s why she’screeping behind Emily, effectively stalking her. Because she’s worried.Not crazy.

Anyway, she’s notreally creeping. She’s walking in plain sight. Emily has headphones in and isheaded toward the Barden rec center, oblivious to the world and therefore alsoChloe.

So, yeah, she’s totesnot creeping.

She waits about fiveseconds after Emily enters the building to follow, swiping her card at the doorto be let in. Emily’s long stride is taking her around the corner toward thebasketball courts.

Chloe doesn’t get it.What’s so suspicious about going to the gym?

Maybe Emily has asecret weekly kinky bruise evoking hookup in the locker room? Or maybe she’s aZumba instructor and doesn’t want the Bellas to know? But why? The Bellas loveZumba.

(Well, okay, Chloeloves Zumba. And Ashley loves Zumba. So like? Close enough.)

Chloe leans her headaround the corner and sees Emily start to jog across the basketball court.Small groups of people are littered here and there on the court, stretching andtalking. There’s a net set up mid-court and a few people are split up intopairs, hitting balls back and forth to each other.

As Emily jogs up, aball comes zooming her direction and Chloe instinctually braces for impact, butEmily lifts her hands up and taps the ball with her fingertips so it soarsdirectly overhead. Then she slides to the left as another girl runs up andjumps toward the ball, spiking it into the ground. The two of them high-fiveand laugh, Emily throwing her drawstring bag over on the sidelines.

Chloe scrunches hernose in confusion.

Volleyball?

That’s Emily’s secret?

Chloe drifts to thebleachers and discreetly climbs to the top. There’s a few other peoplelingering on them, either socializing, watching their friends play, or justwaiting around.

Emily stretches andafter a few minutes, starts warming up with another girl. They bump the ballback and forth until a ref steps forward and calls for the match to start.

For the next hour,Chloe watches as Emily spikes, bumps, and sets ball after ball. She covers hereyes in horror as Emily slides and dives into the floor. She cringes every timeEmily’s bony knees hit the hard ground and breathes in relief when she getsback up with a laugh.

She seems to genuinelyenjoy this hellishly painful sport and for the life of her, Chloe can’t imaginewhy on earth she was keeping this a secret.

Chloe manages to gothe first two matches without drawing any attention to herself.

The third match,however, really grinds her gears.

Chloe’s not really asports person, but she thinks they’re fun enough, and she’s kind of gettinginto it simply because it’s clear Emily loves it.

Also Chloe is damncompetitive and she wants Emily to win.

It’s coming down tothe wire, a really close match, when Emily spikes the ball on the other side ofthe net. It just barely catches the line, staying in bounds, but the ref, likesome blind moron, blows his whistle, calling it out.

“THAT WAS IN!” Chloescreams, because she can’t help herself.

The ref pays her noattention, but Emily’s head whips around and even at a distance, her gaze glomsright onto Chloe’s, her mouth widening in shock.

Chloe waves.

Emily, in confusion,waves back.

Play resumes and Chloehas the urge to bite her nails the longer it goes on. Finally, it’s match pointand if Emily’s team scores, they win.

There’s a really goodvolley back and forth a few times until the ball soars a little too close toEmily. Chloe holds her breath, but Emily springs off her feet, her hand arcingdown and connecting with the ball in the air. It darts down like a laser and…

Slams into the ground.

“WOO!” Chloe screams,jumping to her feet and clapping as the ref calls the game.

The other people inthe stands glance at her kind of awkwardly, but she doesn’t care. That’s her babyand she’s proud!!

Okay, well, not reallyher baby. But like, her little duckling. Or… something.

Whatever, GO EMILY!

Chloe hangs aroundwhile Emily shakes hands with the other team and grabs her stuff. She waves toher teammates before heading over in Chloe’s direction, her face all read andsweaty.

“You were sogood,” Chloe gushes when Emily reaches her.

Emily beams. “Thanks.”Then she tilts her head to the side. “Umm, what are you doing here?”

Chloe shrugs. “Ifollowed you here.”

“You… followed mehere?” Emily blinks slowly. “Well, that’s a little creepy, but okay.”

“I was walking inplain sight. You didn’t even notice.” Chloe puts her hands on her hips. “Youreally should be more observant, Emily. It’s a scary world out there. You needto be aware of your surroundings. Do you have pepper spray?”

“Uhhhh. Yes?”

“Good.” Chloe huffs alittle. “I was worried about. You have bruises and you were soevasive. Why didn’t you tell us you play intramural volleyball?”

Emily averts her gazeguiltily. “I just…” She shrugs as she looks back at Chloe. “I didn’t want youor the Bellas to think I wasn’t one hundred percent dedicated to the Bellas. Iam. It’s just I also like to play and I promise I’m committed and if there everwas a major conflict I would definitely choose the Bellas, I swear.”

She pouts cutely andChloe places her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Emily, you can be involved inmore than one thing. We understand.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Totes,” Chloe nods,stringing her arm through Emily’s and leading her toward the gym’s exit. “Infact, we’d love to come watch you. The Bellas would love it. Stacie would makea sign.”

“Uh, I mean… um” Emilystammers, but Chloe’s already imagining how loud the Bellas would cheer and allthe fan signs they might make.

Being your friendgroup’s Mama Bear isn’t all worries and nurturing. Part of it is embarrassingyour friends with your love.

In fact, Chloe thinks,that’s probably her favorite part.

[oh-styles]

92 Truths

Tagged by @legend-waitforit-harry Thanks love!

Rules: Write 92 truths about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

What was your…

Last drink: Dr. Pepper, though I’m trying to cut soda from my diet... Last phone call: My friend/ex-lover Jesse Last text message: My coworker Vicki Last song you listened to: I can’t remember but I have Heathens stuck in my head Last time you cried: Last night kind of. Eyes got a little wet. Can’t remember why.

Have you ever…

Dated someone twice: A couple people, yeah. (Note: If it didn’t work out the first time...)

Been cheated on: I wrote an essay and poem about when I got cheated on and sent it to my favorite poet/rapper/person, and he wrote me a letter back and told me he loved it. (#1 reason why I’m okay I got cheated on.) Kissed someone and regretted it: No Lost someone special: Yes Been depressed: Yes

In the past year, have you…

Made a new friend: A few, yeah. Fallen out of love: Nope. Laughed until you cried: It’s the only thing I’m good at. Met someone who changed you: Yeah, I think so. Found out who your true friends are: All the yes. Kissed anyone on your followers/following: Actually, no. On my main account, yes. How many people from your Tumblr you know irl: None, but that’s this account. My main account, like 10 or so. Do you want to change your name: Yeah, it’s a bit bland.  What time did you wake up today: 12, I haven’t been sleeping well lately so I’ve been falling asleep late and waking up late. No regrets. What were you doing at midnight last night: Honestly... laying in bed on my phone. Name something you can’t wait for: Right now, because I was thinking about it during my work shift... Dunkirk. And the Steak n Shake I just had. What is the one thing you wish you could change about your life: I wish I went after my hopes and dreams more, instead of just sitting and waiting for it to happen. What are you listening to right now: A Progressive commerical. What’s getting on your nerves right now: MY FUCKING LAPTOP

About me…

Nicknames: “Skinnt Bitch”- My Grandma (I love her) Relationship: I want to be single for a while, I need to focus on myself Zodiac sign: Gemini Pronouns: She/her Favourite TV shows: Shameless, Skins, Lost School: 2012 graduate Hair colour: Various colors of brown  Long or short hair: TOO FUCKING LONG

Do I have a crush on someone: Always What do you like about yourself: I have a way with words.

Firsts…

First surgery ever: My toe First piercing: My ears First sport you joined: Color guard First vacation: Disneyland, I was like 3 or something First pair of trainers/sneakers: I was a wee lil tot

Right now…

Eating: Nothing Drinking: That Dr. Pepper I shouldn’t be drinking Listening to: How The World Ends, a tv show Waiting for: Harry to murder me. Wanting kids: Not sure, really. Career: aliuhdflskjdfhlk

Romantic stuff…

Lips or eyes: I spend more time looking at eyes so Hugs or kisses: Depends on how I’m feeling Shorter or taller:Well you can’t get any shorter than me so Older or younger: Older within reason Romantically spontaneous: Within reason lmao  Sensitive or loud: Sensitive Hook-up or relationship: Relationship, I don’t have time to mess around Troublemaker or hesitant: Hesitant

Have you ever…

Kissed a stranger: Nope Drank hard liquor: Ugh Lost glasses or contacts: I just realized I probably lost my glasses Been arrested: Nah, I’m a good kid Turned someone down: Another thing I’m good at Cried when someone died: Yeah? Fallen for a friend: Yeeeah... 

Do you believe…

In yourself: I need to work on this. Miracles: Let a miracle happen to me and then we’ll talk Love at first sight: That’s laughable.  Santa Claus: THE GUY WAS ACTUALLY REAL HE LIVED IN ICELAND OR SOMETHING but legit though he didn’t fly around the world or anything Kiss on the first date: If I like you then sure

I tag: @adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy @never-enough-harry2 @soloharried @trulymadlysydney @canistay-haz @inkedferns @saint-nic because you got my name fam! @cheshirepuddin 

[247jiyong]

i’m late to the party but they say it’s better late than never--

i was supposed to write this when the first anniversary rolled in, yet i was struggling with some hesitations. first of all, talking about this roleplay always makes me way more emotional than it probably should (not like i complain tho) and second of all, i might say i’m not good with words when it comes to such letters but i end up writing an essay anyway. so, be ready for nostalgic rambling of mine.

honestly, i can’t really recall how i stumbled upon 247. what i remember is that i was still a newbie to roleplaying on tumblr. since english is not my native language and i somewhat still feel insecure about my writing due to that, despite noticing how it progressed and developed in a good direction, i was a bit uncertain sending the application in. i wish i had a witty story about how i came up with kwon jiyong the dj but it was mostly improvisation-- not knowing why, i reserved him without thinking twice and considering other fcs and today i can say that it was one the bests spontaneous decisions i’ve ever made.

i didn’t have a particular idea for him, really. if my memory doesn’t trick me right now, i scrolled down the locations page and saw lush night club. he immediately fitted in the dj position in my mind. writing his bio i felt like he was a little cliche. rich kid with parents who didn’t pay much attention to him in the past. and in most movies, tv shows or anything else he would become either an emotionless asshole or he would follow his parents steps and go for that Cash&Career™. i didn’t want it for my character, so i made him this reckless guy whose only concern is whether there will be alcohol.

i was accepted on the opening day and i had no clue what to expect.

whenever i remember this one line from jiyong’s bio, it always makes me cringe. “jiyong’s a player, not a keeper.” but that was him, truly. now, fast forward. i revamped him once, without changing his personality. the only differing thing was that from then on he was in the empire clique because earlier when i was joining i wasn’t so sure about having him in any of the cliques. i laugh through tears whenever i think back to who he was last year. he turned into an emotional mess way sooner than i thought. big thanks to gossip girl. you da mvp.

in march june was born as i needed to have someone opposite to jiyong. the way i described him in a sentence was: writer in the streets, stripper in the sheets. he was slightly more well-thought-out and although my muse for him happened to drop drastically, i got so attached that i couldn’t let go of him.

(and to avoid exhausting your eyes more, if you didn’t stop reading my senseless scribbles, i’ll skip this absolutely moving babbling about my another son aka june--)

what always amazed me in this directory wasn’t only how close-knitted it became but also how none of you ever run out of brilliant ideas and plots. however, talking about the unity here, 247 seriously feels like home to me and you feel like family. let me shower all of you with love!

thank you for giving me the best roleplaying experience i could ever imagine. i was to thank everyone, those who have been here for quite a while just like me and even those who joined recently. to the newer members, i hope you feel welcomed in the community you’re now a part of! special thanks to @247krp for keeping this roleplay active and alive for a year, what seems to be a hella long time. the events the admin team comes up with never fail to fuel my muse and drama thirst more. i would like to thank @seunghyun247 — you don’t mind my sentimental monologues about 247 (i’m so grateful for that ya know it) and we basically brought bros to another level, @247sooyoung — i’ve told you this like a zillion times already but i adore your plot ideas and they are real gems, @kookie247 — your angst is the quality content i live for and thank you for being a meme buddy of mine, @247sumin — it’s a pleasure to plot as well as chatter with you and thank you for always being down for that!

there are so many other people i want to thank because without you, i probably wouldn’t stay here for a year but you simply give me a reason to continue. day by day, my excitement about this roleplay increases. and it’s all thanks to you.

i love you ♥

[optimisticprincepainter]

India’s best-known child star of the 1950s, Daisy Irani, whose moppet curls and saucer-eyed charm captivated generations of film lovers, has revealed that she was raped and abused at the peak of her stardom. It has taken over 60 years for Irani, these days better known as the maternal aunt of Farhan and Zoya Akhtar and Farah Khan, to speak publicly about her trauma. More than #MeToo, what has prompted her to break her silence is the very large number of children working via films, TV and talent shows. Through her story, she serves a cautionary note to parents, guardians and mentors to keep a protective eye on their wards. The mega child-star of yore reveals that she was just six years old when she was raped: “The man who did this was supposed to be my guardian. He accompanied me to a film shoot (Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke) in Madras . One night in the hotel room he violated me, hit me with a belt and warned me that he would kill me if I ever told anyone about what had happened.” Daisy Irani, all of six, and all alone with him, believed him. Coerced into movies by an ambitious mother when she was only four, Irani worked multiple shifts to star in over 50 films including the iconic Naya Daur,and Dhool Ka Phool, essaying roles of boys mostly. Such was her popularity that heart-tugging roles were written especially for her and her footage often extended. She shared the limelight with the top stars of that time including Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Vyjayanthimala and Meena Kumari. Her bond with the lastnamed was so close that she convinced herself that “Meena Kumari was my mother. She was so loving towards me.” But in the darkness behind the klieg lights lay a story of sexual exploitation, which she has spoken about to Mumbai Mirror spontaneously. NIrani’s two siblings, Honey (Farhan and Zoya Akhtar’s mother) and Meneka (Farah and Sajid Khan’s mother), too, stepped into the movies prompting Daisy to be extra protective about them: “Thanks to our mother, Perin, our lives, when we were kids, resembled a never-ending black comedy,” she says with a rueful laugh. More than six decades later, she can recount her childhood trauma without a trace of self-pity. “That man is dead and gone. His name was Nazar, he was related to the famous singer Zohrabai Ambalewaali. Obviously, he had contacts in the film industry. My mother was hell-bent on making me a star. I made my debut in the Marathi movie, Baby. So Uncle Nazar (she rolls her eyes here) had accompanied me to the shoot of Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke in Madras. I can recall the incident only in flashes, but I do remember the killing pain, and the visual of him belting me. The next morning, I was back at the studio as if nothing had happened. For years, I couldn’t dare to tell my mother about what he had done.” Did the incident take a psychological toll on the young Daisy? To that, she replies, “All I can say is as I grew up, I started flirting outrageously, I would tease and taunt men. I did not even understand what I was doing. I became badtameez (without manners). With time, my mother did get to know about the Madras incident but what could be done really?” “When I was 15 or so”, she recalls,“mother made me wear a sari, padded me up with a new-fangled sponge, and left me alone with producer Mallikchand Kochar, who was planning a film called Mere Huzoor then, at his office located somewhere between Maratha Mandir cinema and the Tardeo circle. It was all quite hilarious… He joined me on the sofa, and started touching me… I knew what was on his mind. I took out the sponge things and handed them to him. He was furious. Now why did I do that? Because, I’ve always seen the funnier side of things.” When kid sister Honey entered the movies, Daisy tended to be protective about her and kept her away from harm’s way. “Both of us had a common obsession: to get married and leave home as soon as we could. I revered Dad, he was cute, and he loved us to pieces but he would always be busy at work—his family owned the B. Merwan Café at Grant Road. I loved my mother too, but I guess I hated her as well.” Bemused, she doesn’t hem or haw about her teenage-year romances, either with an upcoming actor or with an eminent producer-director. The actor married another woman. The movie moghul was already married and a father of several children “who were actually my buddies”.  While Honey Irani married scriptwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar when she was 18, the other sister married filmmaker Kamran Khan when she was 19. Daisy herself married scriptwriter and director KK Shukla when she was 21. “KK…poor fellow, he’s no more as you know,” she chuckles. “Before he proposed to me, he used to play Cupid between my boyfriends and me. Our marriage lasted the course somehow although I once told him I knew of his extra-marital affair… He didn’t know where to look!”  Daisy who continued to act in supporting roles, her last being in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Happy New Year, says she has since found solace in Christianity and joined the New Life Fellowship Association. “I was always drawn to the iconography of angels protecting children,” she says. “Child actors have it tough. In a majority of cases they have been taken advantage of. Maybe a few have had it easy, but most don’t, really,” she says.  TNN ; 23rd. Mar,18

YESTERYEAR CHILD STAR DAISY IRANI SAID SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT THE AGE OF SIX YEARS OLD : India’s best-known child star of the 1950s, Daisy Irani, whose moppet curls and saucer-eyed charm captivated generations of film lovers, has revealed that she was raped and abused at the peak of her stardom.

[lizzieverse]

Happy New Year! Here’s to hope, moving forward and enduring life. I used to make FB as an essay writing platform during the first day of the year, like everybody, but then I remembered, I might as well make use of my own personal blog so I get less judgments, right? Kidding. I. don’t. care.

2017 has been quite a productive year for me unlike the other years. Although I have lots of days where I really can’t find a reason to get up and days where I just find myself stuck in sadness. But, I got a stubborn head and a reckless heart so when I get a little courage, I say “fvck it, Lizzie” and do what I had to do. There have been a lot of first times for me this year, from doing what I love, to helping people, communities, and the environment. Below are the highlights of my 2017 that I am super thankful of:

January – Joined Para Sa Sining. Saw a post that they’re looking for volunteers with creative backgrounds. Without any hesitation, my friend and I went to their HQ for an interview. Never regretted joining this organization as I have seen such passionate individuals that’s not just concerned about Art, but also give back to the community and give glory to God.

February – It’s the National Arts month so instead of rallying for a Valentine’s day date, I wished to have the energy to attend every event for that Month. I was able to attend the opening day and had a free film photography/videography course. Also, becoming a yearly tradition, Art Fair at The Link to see a bunch of fine Art.

It was also the last days with my best girl workmates and doing events. It was sad but, I just felt like leaving would really help me find where I want to be.

There was also an unexpected blessing and responsibility that came to me for this month, a chance to be a  partner for change. I was offered to be a volunteer writer/researcher for Explorra.ph. It was a week of stories of failure and success that inspired us to keep going.

March –  It’s my birthday month! Celebrated my birthday away from the city. Bataan was one of my dream local destinations so, me and my boyfriend made use of my birthday holiday to explore three towns in Bataan, namely, Bagac, Mariveles and Morong. It was one helluva ride because there was no connecting rides from one city to another. Although it was tiring and there have been throwing tantrums on the side, I am just glad to have spent it climbing the hills, touching the walls of history, swimming in the beach and releasing baby turtles.

For first times, me and my boyfriend attended Holi Festival in MOA. Been wishing to attend this event because of the colors and also have a taste of India’s culture.

Another first time is to ride a bamboo bike and be an Intramuros tour guide for a day. Para Sa Sining partnered with Bambike Tours for Katha’s : Teatro x Arkitektura 2017.

photo grabbed from Para Sa Sining fb page

Another volunteer opportunity we grabbed was to be a social media manager for Pandacan Ecology Ministry. Last March, me and my boyfriend personally experienced helping the ministry separate plastics and papers from the trash collected from residential areas of Brgy. Pandacan in Manila. It will be delivered to a partnered organization that will convert the trash into eco bricks.

April –  Had the chance to be a SharePH ambassador with my friend, Persis. Another photography and videography lesson given by professional photographers/videographers from Rappler.

Photo grabbed from Move.ph fb page

After months of leaving GLMP, my friends invited me to a “team building” party in Tagaytay. Missed them so much and being with them is a lot of fun.

May – It was my first summer outing with StraightArrow. Although, it was awkward getting along as a newbie, I still enjoyed it. Thanks to the newly found friends I got to be with during that time.

Another first time for this month was to attend an overnight gig on top of the mountains. It was amazing swaying and sleeping to Indie folk songs and waking up to sunrise with Munimuni’s Bukang Liwayway, which was my favorite part.

credits to Jen Tajanlangit for the photo

Explorra and Pangasinan Tourism gave us a chance again to gather together and have fun with our fellow volunteers, Explorra never fails to give a soul satisfying moment and Pangasinan really carved a space in my heart because of the people’s generosity and its beauty.

June – Spent Araw ng Kalayaan listening to some of my fave local artists. It was not the first time for me to hear them live but the orchestra setting made it different. Don’t mind the Summer Siren shirt, please. HAHA

July – First salu-salo with Para Sa Sining. I really hope to get to know all of them. Also just meeting my girls at our favorite event.

Had a super chill anniversary celebration with my love in Elyu. Also the first time to be in a relationship for a year and counting, LOL. Hope to have more misadventures with this hooman.

August – Meeting my best friend after x number of months, my friends from previous company and volunteer work. Also my phone broke, thankfully I get to have physical human interactions.

September – First time to speak in front of a crowd to teach something of use to Creatives like me. It was exciting and at the same time, challenging, I never thought I could be a teacher or a trainer. Thanks to CNA, ’cause they’ve provided support and trainings for us to be fully equipped.

Planted baby bamboos with my love in Rizal. Kawayanihan was a big event done every year. Although the program before the planting was I think long and unnecessary, I guess we both enjoyed completing all the steps to save Mama Earth in our own little ways.

October – Our much awaited trip to Cebu x Dumaguete x Siquijor. Went to my parents home town and got to see a bunch of dolphins! It’s also an early celebration for my bb’s birthday.

Was able to shoot for Para sa Sining’s Katha: Musika x Pelikula. Thanks to Leah, for lending me her camera. I actually love taking photos, not really selfies if you ask. So a good camera and a worthy event excites me every time.

Para sa Sining

Artwork featured for Katha: Musika x Pelikula

Artwork featured for Katha: Musika x Pelikula

And a spontaneous trip with my boyfriend’s fam which was also a late and early birthday celebration for him and her siblings.

November –  A wish granted gig date with my beau. It was actually on my bucket list as one of my ideal date setting. Just swaying to the songs of my fave bands with my person. With a beer in one hand and his hand on the other. Mushiness aside, it was also my first time to watch Ciudad and I am so happy, they’re actually the number one reason why I wanna go to this gig. But of course, everyone who played are my personal favorites. It felt like we were in the movie “Ang Nawawala” which we both love.

I am just thankful for this year that God gave me so much opportunities to help the world and be a partner for change. And even I can just do a little, he’ll make sure I won’t falter and just grab whatever chance that came my way. Last November was quite special to me because I attended a conference with Alec. When I met him, he’s so passionate about making a change in this country, I was glad I was able to see that Alec again during the conference. Also, it didn’t appear to me that I will get to see my close friend, Persis during the conference and that she was a part of HPAIR, the organizer for ASEAN Youth Impact Challenge.

December – The time for catching up, giving back and reflecting. I’m just glad that I was able to catch up with people I haven’t met for a long time. My December was pretty jam packed that I crammed buying gifts for everyone. But, I’m really glad I have survived it!

My first Christmas party with StraightArrow and awesome team mates.

Second year outreach activity with high school friends, yearly Christmas party and a get together party to make up for our lost time together.

Wedding gig in Laguna. Last year I got to help my friend with a wedding, too. But this year was kinda challenging ’cause it was an all around thing. From smelling flowers to trying not to cry. Kidding. It was fun, though.

Another first time with the boyfriend – climbing a mountain. Well, technically we’ve climbed a few mountains already. But this time with a hike guide, strong winds and gusty rain.

Also, after a long time, I was able to visit Persis in QC and had photowalk, photoshoot, street food trip and coffee like we always do.

And the yearly get together with my college friends. So much have changed with our food and drink choices, but we still all laugh loudly when we’re together.

It’s nice looking back ’cause I realized it was never that bad at all. Even if it felt like I was all alone, hopeless and not good enough, these memories remind me that I am not, that I made it, that I can. And I wanna keep moving forward. To pursue everything that can satisfy my soul, meet people who keeps wanting more kindness, a better world and a better self. This year I just want to keep finding source of funds so that I can continue to do what I love to do. Travel, take more photos, help more people, learn more, study, make art, buy art, plant more trees, clean more beach, just basically do whatever I think I wanna do. Ha!

My 2017 Highlights Diary Happy New Year! Here's to hope, moving forward and enduring life. I used to make FB as an essay writing platform during the first day of the year, like everybody, but then I remembered, I might as well make use of my own personal blog so I get less judgments, right?

[bernardschweizer1]

The Chinese Road Less Traveled

I recently read a critical essay about the way that the internet allows us to curate our traveling experiences down to every last detail, thereby sapping our journeys of the vital elements of surprise, strangeness, and bewilderment. Thanks to apps, search engines, and social media, we know where we are at every step, we have read reviews of every place ahead of time, and we have seen every attraction from different angles before we even get there. This made me wonder whether in writing this blog, I was also participating in the information over-saturation related to traveling. Of course, my hope is that by providing interpretations and telling stories, I am stimulating curiosity and whetting people’s appetite for exploration rather than shutting down possibilities of discovery and venturing forth.

As for the virtue of underpreparedness, we did honor this principle during our recent trip to the Yandang Mountains, with mixed results. The reason for our relative ignorance was that we had been spontaneously invited by a Chinese friend to join him on a trip there, hotels and all arrangements taken care of. He even offered to drive us all the way down there (6 hours south of Shanghai). Just before hitting the road, I googled “Yandang mountain hiking trails”—because that way our interests lie—but the result was predictable: nothing came up. The concept of hiking is quite foreign to Chinese tourists, who prefer their sightseeing to be within a short stroll from the parking lot. Of course, there are the typical endless steps that connect temples and monasteries with one another but they serve utilitarian purposes and are not thought of as hiking paths per se. Below is a sample of what “hiking” often looks like in the Chinese mountains.

In one way, it was refreshing to get to a tourist spot without many preconceptions. For instance, we only realized after we got to our hotel that the whole area consisted of a sprawling geological park of some 450 square kilometers. No less than eight different sightseeing sections were included in this large park, with buses shuttling between the more closely related ones. Climbing up to the rooftop terrace of our hotel in the evening, we were pleased to see an array of curiously shaped rock formations sticking up from a carpet of lush greenery. This whetted our appetite for explorations.

But let’s not be naive: underpreparedness can also have its price. For instance, after finishing our self-guided exploration in the morning (of which more in a minute), we asked locals for recommendations of where to go next. They directed us to the most crowded part of the park, which had some nice views, but nothing overwhelming. Not far from this place, however, there is a gorgeous, long suspension footbridge crossing a chasm of great depth. This the locals told us was not worth visiting. “Nobody goes there” was their laconic comment. The picture below was taken from the internet, showing what we missed due to underpreparedness.

Only after coming back from our trip and checking the map location of this bridge did I realize that we had been not far from it. “Nobody goes there” simply means you have to walk a little to earn the view. And if there’s one thing Chinese tourists mistrust, it’s a place that is sparsely visited. Indeed, crowdedness is considered the highest form of recommendation: if there are tons of people at a place it has got to be good. Next time I find myself in a similar situation, I will go up to the locals and ask “tell me what place nobody goes to?” then go there.

Speaking of crowds: when we got to the entrance to the park near our hotel at 8 in the morning, we were consternated to find that two large, noisy tourist groups were already cueing up at the gate. How did we know they were TWO groups and not one? Each group was wearing identical caps, and there was a gaggle of orange and a throng of pink caps. So much for thinking that getting up at 7 am is enough to beat the Chinese crowds... 

Trying to put some distance between us and the blaring loudspeakers, chattering, and yelling, we virtually sprinted up the path, barely having time to appreciate the spectacular scenery that opened up before us. 

Luckily, though, we soon reached a fork in the trail, and the tour groups predictably took the path more traveled. And so we ascended quite peacefully now to a lonely pagoda overlooking the whole valley. It was the perfect perch to take in the grand vista at this time of day. Before us stood the lumpy “Spiritual Peak” (líng fēng) rearing into the pale blue sky like a raised fist. Nestled at its base were several monasteries, some of them featuring multi-colored buildings that were sheltered inside arch-like rock overhangs. 

This whole area was created by volcanic activity millions of years ago, only to be carved into picturesque pillars, grooved rock faces, and towering peaks by the ensuing erosion, as the plateau underwent geological uplift and subduction.

Life here seemed to proceed on a different track compared to urban China. In these parts, you would still run into kids staring at wàiguó rén (foreigners), shouting “hello!” from a safe distance; groups of locals could be seen foraging for wild herbs along the paths; and women washed their laundry in the clear mountain stream, pounding the fabric with paddles in lieu of using detergent.

According to the principle of spontaneous exploration, we followed some trails not knowing where they would lead us, as long as they were the less traveled routes. It was quite easy to separate ourselves from the throng: just going to slightly greater lengths, literally, was enough to be alone. After straying a kilometer or so up a side-valley, we emerged in front of a lovely Taoist temple. Its deep maroon colored front walls were daubed with large hand-written Chinese characters spelling out some mantra about limitless luck in gorgeous black calligraphy. At this moment, we felt a little of that luck spilling over to us.

A bright red Chinese flag fluttered merrily above the entrance of this establishment, although it was not clear to me whether this was the country claiming Taoism as its native religion or Taoism proclaiming its loyalty to the nation (or both?).

 From here, it was another half hour or so and about 100 floors up, before we entered a remote plateau featuring a small monastery and temple, both currently under renovation. The elderly gent who approached us there unasked to explain what was going on said that a Taiwanese benefactor had donated the money to spruce up the whole place. He spoke about the small collection of buildings with deep veneration and a great sense of pride. 

The temple here was build into a crack of the mountain, and I soon realized that this was more than an anomaly: one after another, we encountered sacramental buildings that utilized natural openings—cracks, overhangs, tunnels, caves—as the chosen location to erect these structures in. There is a fascinating background to this, and in the following post I will expand on this phenomenon. Stay tuned... 

[ourloveisforthelovely]

This or That Part 5

Harry Potter AU Marauders ERA

Link to Part 4

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader. Sirius Black x Reader 

Rating: T

______

2 months…

It had been two months since you had officially begun dating Regulus. As you expected, there was a lot of talking when word of your relationship officially got out. A few stupid boys from your own house decided to make teasing comments about you dating a Slytherin and ended up getting hexed by Regulus. No one was about to mess with Regulus and his reputation.

The only complaint was the lack of physical intimacy in your relationship. When Regulus said that he was taking things slow, he wasn’t kidding. You wondered if Regulus thought you were a slut because you had been hinting about the next level of your relationship for some time.

What if he thinks I’m a whore? Am I whore for wanting to be with him?

The thoughts plagued you almost non-stop! Regulus had been trying to prove to you that he could change but not everything was perfect.

“Christmas is coming up.”

Lily said casually one morning over breakfast. You looked up from the book that Regulus had put down in front of you. Lily’s comment didn’t seem to register with your boyfriend. You knew that Regulus still wasn’t 100% on Lily. He had finally stopped trying to call her a mudblood (after a lot of nasty arguments between the two of you) and was now calling her by her name.

“Yeah, it is. What are your plans?”

You asked. Lily took a sip of her juice giving you a wink. She was partially trying to help get information out of Regulus. You had been hoping that he would take up your offer of going home with you for the holiday. Your parents were over the moon happy with the fact that you finally got a boyfriend. Regulus, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure about the idea of meeting parents so fast was a good idea.

“I’m going home. Maybe we can all get together and do something before we come back to school. What are your plans, Y/n?”

Your eyes flickered to Regulus’ hopefully. His grey eyes didn’t move from the book.

“I’m going home too. James had mentioned that his parents were having a party.”

James nodded as he and Sirius sat down. You noted how Sirius and Regulus still acted as though the other didn’t exist. It didn’t matter how much you begged either boy to give the other brother a chance either.

“Yep, it's going to be lit...well as it can be with one’s parents hovering.”

“We can still have a good time. Y/n, are you coming?”

Sirius asked, with a smirk. If he could just get you alone without your little shadow maybe he could win you over? He still didn’t understand what you saw in Regulus. The two of you seemed like such an awkward couple. Regulus wouldn’t kiss you in public. He acted as if you holding his hand was going to kill him. All that Regulus seemed to be comfortable with was to pull you into a broom closet whenever the mood suited him. Sirius had quit looking at the map when you were on a date with Regulus. All that Sirius saw was your names in broom closets or on top of the astronomy tower for long periods of time.

Some romance.

Sirius thought bitterly as you turned in his direction.

“Remus and I will be there.”

That got Regulus’ attention. His eyes were on you. On your last date, you had mentioned the party but you only were thinking about going. Now that you were going and Sirius was going...Regulus was concerned. He didn’t like the fact that you were still friendly with Sirius. Regulus was jealous and he didn't know why. Maybe it was the worry that he would end up losing you to Sirius in the end.

Why wouldn’t she want Sirius? He isn’t uncomfortable with kissing her in public or touching her for that matter…

Regulus thought gloomily before sliding his hand on top of yours. You scooted closer to him practically begging him for any kind of physical affection that he would give. Regulus still wasn’t for sure how to tell you that he wasn’t completely comfortable with snogging you in front of other people. Should that be saved for private?

James had picked up on the mood between Regulus and Sirius right away.

“Regulus, I know that you don’t have much to say about anything but if you can get away from your crazy parents you can come with Y/n.”

“Thanks but I have plans.”

Regulus replied. You quickly turned to him.

“What plans? I thought that we were going to do something.”

Regulus didn’t turn in your direction.

“Something came up.”

“When were you going to tell me?”

You asked, ignoring your friends who were now focused on the brewing spat between the two of you.

“Later.”

Regulus replied, finally meeting your gaze. He knew that you were put out.

“I have to get going anyway. I need to see Professor Slughorn about an essay.”

You said as you gently let go of Regulus’ hand.

“I’ll come with you.”

He said, calmly.

As soon as the two of you were out of the great hall, Regulus stopped walking and tugged you into an empty classroom.

“What was that back there?”

“Nothing.”

You said. Regulus put his books down before tilting your face to his. Even though you were a tad annoyed with him, Regulus could still win you over with one little smile.

“I’m going to miss you too.”

Regulus leaned down and snuggled his face into your hair. He had to get in control of the situation...fast! Over the past few months, Regulus was trying to be less of a control freak and more spontaneous. This was proving to be difficult for him.

“We better go. We’ll be late.”

You said with a sigh. Why you were so moody was a mixture of things. You had been hoping to have someone on one time with Regulus that you couldn’t have at school. You were tired of hiding in a dark abandoned classroom to get any kind of physical contact with your boyfriend. Sure, these make-out sessions were heated and often left you panting but you wanted more. You loved the way Regulus’ hands were beginning to get braver with each day but he wasn’t being as brave as you wanted.

Maybe he was just trying to be a gentleman and not push you into something that you weren't ready for? You were trying to give him some credit there. Regulus would probably be a perfectionist when it came to your first time. There was also the knowledge of his own disastrous “first time” with his ex Ambrosia Parkinson that was making him take things slow with you?

Ambrosia was another delicate subject that Regulus didn’t discuss often. His ex was a bratty nightmare on two legs. In your mind, she used Regulus. She used him to say that she was dating a member of the Black family then discarded him when she didn’t get way on everything. Regulus, no matter who the woman was, was not going to be easily walked over. You thanked his “control freak” nature for that one.

Ambrosia hated you too. She and Evan Rosier were on the same page that Regulus was wasting his time on you. Whenever either Ambrosia or Evan saw the two of you together they would automatically try to pull Regulus away.

Your own dislike of Evan Rosier came flooding in. You were already thinking negative things of parts of Regulus’ life before you so why not let Evan join in. Regulus knew that you didn't’ like Evan but he wasn’t about to drop his best friend since childhood (and you didn’t expect him to) but he could tell Evan to shut his gigantic trap from time to time.

Regulus kissing your forehead pulled you from your thoughts.

“You look so unhappy.”

You shook your head.

“Can we just drop it and go to potions?”

Regulus sighed and held out his arm.

“Fine.”

As usual, once in Slughorn’s room, Regulus went off to join Evan and his other friends. Snape gave you a nod when the two of you locked gazes. He and, sometimes, Barty was okay. You could deal with Snape better because of his friendship with Lily. That was probably the only reason that he found you so acceptable when it came to Regulus.

“You look all hot and bothered.”

Lily said with a smile. She had come into help with that particular day’s lesson and plopped down beside you.

“I’m just annoyed. Regulus is confusing.”

Lily lightly laughed.

“What boy isn’t? What is he doing?”

You glanced over your shoulder and met Regulus’ gaze. It was as if he knew that you were talking about him.

“Lily, how long did it take for James and yourself to get past second base?”

Lily really laughed on that one.

“That depends if you are asking James or myself. I will say a fair amount of time. James would try to convince you it was years. Have you and Regulus…”

You shook your head.

“No, it isn’t for my lack of not wanting to. I keep telling him that I am ready but he stops when it gets too far. This may be childish but I am wondering if he still cares for...her.”

Lily knew automatically who you were talking about. She glared in Ambrosia’s direction. The girl was still looking at Regulus hopefully.

“I don’t think that you have anything to worry about. If Regulus didn’t care for you I don’t think that he would have stepped outside of his comfort zone the way that he has. Besides, you aren’t named after a fruit salad. What were her parents thinking?”

Lily was relieved when you smiled at that. She understood your moody feelings. You wanted to spend time with Regulus over the holiday break; she didn’t put it past you to have something special already planned. Lily’s heart hurt knowing that those special plans had been crushed by whatever better opportunity came up for Regulus.

“Thanks, Lily.”

You said with a smile as Slughorn stepped in to begin his lesson.

After the lesson was over Slughorn gave out his reminder for his “Slug club” members that his Christmas party was the next evening. Regulus has asked you to go with him right after the two of you began dating. This was one thing that you were at least thankful for. Even if Regulus hadn’t asked you, you would have gone. Slughorn was over the moon for you as a student. When he found out that you were dating Regulus, the old man seemed thrilled.

You stood up to go to the door and wait for Regulus. The moment that you turned in his direction, you wished that you hadn’t. Ambrosia had her arms around Regulus’ shoulders and was kissing him like the world was about to end. Your mouth fell open in shock as Regulus pushed her away furiously.

“What are you thinking?”

Regulus snapped before noticing Evan’s silent giggling.

“Turn around, mate.”

Evan said with a smile. He was enjoying the devastated expression on your face. He didn’t want you with Regulus to begin with. Evan hated the fact that his best friend was dating some filthy half-blood from Gryffindor.

Regulus immediately spun around and felt immediately guilty when he saw your face. There was nothing but hurt and sadness written all over you.

“Y/n…”

You shook your head and left the room without another word.

As you ran down the hall, you ran into something hard and fell backward. After smacking your head on the stone floor, you looked up as James popped out from underneath his invisibility cloak.

“Y/n, precious!”

He squealed delighted to see you but stopped the moment he realized that you were crying.

“Hurry, jump in here.”

The moment that you were under the cloak, you were squished between James and Sirius. Sniffing back some more tears, you took in your current situation.

“What are you two doing?”

Sirius grinned.

“Playing a prank on Snivelly. Hey, are you crying?”

“Forget it.

You said, softly. About that time Regulus came running around the corner. He looked as devastated as you felt.

“Y/n? Darling, where are you?”

Regulus looked around pathetically. He didn’t realize that you were standing just a bit from him.

“Reg, can you slow down?”

Evan and Barty rounded the corner breathing heavily. Barty almost looked like he could pass out.

“Did you find her?”

Regulus shook his head.

“It's like she disappeared. I have to find her.”

Evan shook his head.

“She’ll turn up when she wants to chat. Come on, let's go back to the common room. I have some things to go talk to you about our plans for the holiday.”

Regulus waited a moment before turning and following his friends back down the corridor and out of sight.

James and Sirius waited until the coast was clear before pulling the cloak off. Right as they did, Remus turned the corner and stopped at the sight of you pressed against Sirius and James behind you. Remus mentally compared the three of you looking like three gummy bears stuck together on a summer day.

“I normally don’t ask questions but what the hell is going on? Is Regulus and Lily okay with this? I’m not sure that I am…”

James, Sirius, and yourself immediately pulled apart. Sirius and yourself were scowling at Remus while James howled with laughter. This was the funniest damn thing that had happened to him all day.

“Hush, you. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

Sirius snapped as James got a grip on himself.

“Sirius and I were under the cloak about to pull a grand prank when Y/n came running around the corner and into us. She was….”

“Wait, why were you crying?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

You replied. Sirius rolled his eyes as things were starting to click.

“Well, I do. What did my brother do?”

You resisted the urge to return the awkward hug that Sirius was giving you.

“I’m not telling you because I don’t want you to do anything stupid about it!”

You quickly turned and left your two confused best friends and older brother scratching their heads. It wasn’t until Lily walked up did they turn away.

“I can tell you what happened.”

______

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